The Doctor and the Student
by Yukiko2049
Summary: Before the Doctor met Martha, he went on a trip to Cambridge University. There he met Emma Sophie Smith, a twenty-year-old student. Together they saved the University and sarted to travel the Universe. To Emma's disapointment, the first trip goes to 2007... 10/OC First one in the "Emma Chronicles" Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who nor any other TV show/Movie/Book that is mentioned
1. Chapter 1

**Hey!**

**This is a Ten/OC Fanfic!**

**It starts between 'The Runaway Bride' and 'Smith and Jones'**

**So, I hope you enjoy.**

Hello, my name is Emma Sophie Smith and I'm going to tell you the amazing story of my life. And more important: how I met this crazy man, who changed everything.

To start I want to introduce myself to you. Like I already mentioned is my name Emma Sophie. I was born on 15th July 1992. My mum was 26 years old and my dad left her when I was 3 years old. I have no siblings, but my mum married James, a lawyer, my stepfather. There is a special thing about me: I'm kind of a genius. When I was 16 I graduated and started my studies on Cambridge university. I study History, Physics and English Literature and will make my doctor soon. It happens on a cold November morning 2012.

It seemed to be an ordinary day. I woke up at 5 am like every day. As I combed my fiery red hair, my big blue eyes peered back at me. My freckles stood out of my pale face. They were mostly splashed on my high cheekbones and my snub nose. My skinny figure had only very few curves. I stood quiet tall with 5"9'. I wore a pair of jeans, a white pullover and I would wear a coat when I went outside. After I inspected myself I drank my cup of coffee for breakfast, chatted with my Mum and James, and went by car to the Cambridge University. There I met Richard, my ex-boyfriend, who studied Physics, Chemistry and Biology. He was ginger as well. His brown eyes looked at me pleadingly and his slim lips were in a frown. His low cheekbones weren't covered in freckles like mine. He had a tan and a quiet muscular build. He had pug nose, which looked really good in his handsome face.

"Emma… Emma wait a moment", he shouted when I walked past him.

"Richard I must go. I'm otherwise late on my lecture", I said.

I didn't want to talk with him. We were still friends but he had a new girlfriend and I was still single. And every time I talked to Richard, Elizabeth, his new girlfriend, was there. I was glad for him, but I didn't want to see his happiness every single day.

"OH but Emma… please wait", I heard Elizabeth.

Well if she wanted also to talk with me… "Okay, but just for a second. History already happened. What's the matter?"

"We wanted to invite you for a weekend trip. Just we three and my brother Jeffrey", Elizabeth said with a grin.

I looked at them sceptically.

"Don't worry. He is a really nice guy. He studies English Literature in Oxford", Richard explained.

"And he is a great rugby player. Maybe we could also go to a game of him one day. He is also very handsome… he is tall, has muscles, brown hair, eyes blue like the sea… and he is also very smart", Elizabeth swarmed.

"Are you trying to make Matchmaker?", I asked them.

"Well, you haven't dated since Richard…", Elizabeth trailed off.

"Well… I have a boyfriend.", I lied.

"Really?", they asked at the same time.

"Don't act so surprised! I feel offended!", I said.

"Well, what's his name?", Richard asked.

"It's… John", I lied, yet again.

"John Smith?", Elizabeth asked sceptically.

"Yeah… it's a bad coincident"

"What does he look like?", Richard asked.

"Um… tall… brown hair… brown eyes… glasses… he's very handsome… and smart. We're really happy"

"Well, I would love to meet him then.", Elizabeth said, after giving Richard a knowing look.

"He'll…pick me up…", I said, secretly cursing myself.

"Well, you'll have to introduce him to us then.", Richard agreed.

"Well.", I looked around, looking for an escape, "Oh! Look how time flies! I gotta go! Bye!", I said, running to the lecture. But when I arrived nobody was there. Carefully I went in and looked around.

"Hello, is anybody in there?" I shouted and opened the door.

Surprisingly, it was not my professor, but the Dean of the university who stood in the lecture hall. He was not very sympathic to me, but I can't say why. He was a bit smaller than me and was overweight. That should not mean that I don't like overweight people. That would be awkward, because I know how it is when people look at you kind of disgusted. Well I decided to talk to the Dean to find out what's going on here.

"Ah Dean Adams, you know where Professor Jones is?" I asked the head of university.

The dean seemed to be ill. He was sweating and had bloating. He turned in my direction in a very slow way. I had the strange feeling that something was wrong.

"What are you doing here?" the dean asked.

"Normally, now would be the history lecture by Professor Jones here ... since ... about 20 minutes. But as you can see, no one is here. Has the room changed?"

"Oh no my dear, Professor Jones did not feel able to hold today's lecture" he responded.

"And why no one told me? That's just typical. So I hurried here for nothing. By the way, what are you doing here?"

"You know, other students had just left. But you did not. I think I should take you to your fellow students" he said and opened a big cupboard.

In this cupboard I saw nothing but corpses. And the faces I knew all of the history lectures.

"Why did you do that? What kind of human are you?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not human. I belong to the noble family of Slitheen"

After he finished, he moved his hand to his forehead, where a kind of zipper showed up, which he slowly moved to the side.

Suddenly I felt someone grip my hand. I looked next to me and there stood a strange man. He was very tall, had brown hair, brown eyes and was very handsome. 'Maybe I can ask him, if he can play my boyfriend' I thought. Then he said "Run" and dragged me toward the exit. At first I stumbled behind him, but then I heard shouting. I looked behind me and where the dean just stood, stood a strange green thing. It started to run after us, which looked really funny. His hand was trustingly over his head. My eyes widened and I quickened my speed. The man dragged me out of the University and led me to a blue box. He stopped in front of it and let go of my hand, to rummage through his pocket.

I waited for him to speak, but when he didn't say anything I started asking questions "Who are you? What happened to Dean Adams? What is he? And what are you looking for? What are we stopping at a police box for? Wh-"

The man put a finger on my lips, to make me shut up, continued to rummage through his pockets and said "I'm the Doctor; this…Dean Adams is a Slitheen. I'm looking for my key. This police box is called TARDIS. It stands for Time Relative Dimension In Space. Ha!", then he pulled out a key, pulled his finger away and put the key in the lock of the TARDIS. He turned it and pushed it open.

That man is strange, rude and seems to not read instructions, because on the door stood "Pull to open".

After a while he seemed to notice, that I didn't follow him, because he popped his head out and asked "What are you waiting for?", and went back inside. After thinking of what could happen in the worst case I decided to follow him inside.

When I stepped inside I was in a short stage of shock. "There is another dimension in here.", I murmured.

The Doctor-man grinned at me and said "Right! How do you know that? Normally people say 'It's bigger on the inside' and are totally shocked. You don't seem too shocked though. You should be shocked though. The dean of your university just zipped up his head and turned into a Slitheen. I don't think it's shocking. Happens to me all the time. Well… not the dean of my university. And there are the corpse of your fellow students. Big shock, if you ask me. You seem quiet calm though… What did you say your name was?"

I looked at him like he grew a second head, before slowly saying "My name Emma… Emma Smith."

"Ah… Smith. I like that surname. I had some companions with that surname. Sarah Jane, Mickey… Mickey was with Rose…", the end he said a bit sadly.

"So, you're an alien. Because I wouldn't believe you if you tell me, that your human, with all the bigger on the inside spaceship and the Slitheen-thingy.", I said, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I'm an alien."

"Well, that's a bit too Science-Fiction."

"But it's true… I can show you."

"Maybe after we solved the Slitheen problem."

"Yeah… well. Of course.", the Doctor.

The Doctor looked at me and I looked at him. After half a minute I said "And how, Alien-man?"

"Oh! Right! We need vinegar.", he grinned.

"Vinegar?", I asked doubtfully.

"Yes, where's the cafeteria?", he asked.

"Well, I could lead you there."

"Yeah, great idea. You've got salad today?"

"We have a salad buffet"

"Even better."

We stood there for another half minute and I broke the silence by saying "We should head out, before the Slitheen kills the whole university."

"Right! Allons-y!", said the Doctor, before running out of the TARDIS.

I shook my head and followed him. When I reached him he turned in the wrong direction I ran faster and as I reached him I took his hand. We went quickly in the right direction, when suddenly Richard and Elizabeth showed up. "Oh bloody hell", I whispered and looked at the strange man. "Please do me a favour. Just play along", I begged. A bit confused he nodded and before I could tell him the story, the pair stood before us.

"Emma, my dear. Nice to see you again", Elizabeth said and smiled.

"Yeah… of course", I said panicked.

"Hello, my name is Richard Fisher. What's your name?", Richard asked. Well I hated him in this moment. I wanted to kill him.

"Oh hello, I'm John… John Smith. Yeah I know, my parents seemed to be very creative. But my nephews love to ask me when I'll meet Pocahontas or a Jane who looks like Angelina Jolie. But I don't really look like Brad Pitt… I look better and of course my lovely Emma here next to me also looks better than Angelina Jolie, doesn't she", the stranger said very quickly. I just smiled and was very happy.

"Where and when did you two meet?"

"Well… it was here on the Campus… I helped her… in many different ways", the stranger said.

"And since when are you together?", Elizabeth asked.

"Well… the time flies if you are happy and have fun… I'm so sorry Darling, when is our anniversary? Please don't be angry with me… I can't handle it when you are angry with me… But of course you look so cute when you are angry"

"Don't worry honey. I'm not angry with you. It was the… 1st of September… Well two months already"

"Are you both really a couple? There is something strange", Richard said sceptically.

"Of course!", I said.

"Prove it"

"What? I should prove you, that I have a boyf-", in this moment I was cut off by 'John'. He suddenly kissed me. In the first moment it was akward but as I relaxed it was… wow. It was fantastic. It was like a firework… indescribably. After the kiss I looked at him like a teenager when I realized that I cleared my throat. "Well… John and I have to go… we'll see us", I said and went with 'John' to the cafeteria. While we walked I whispered "thanks for playing along" to him.

As we reached the salad buffet he said, "Ok, so you fill a bowl with the dressing."

"And you?"

"I'll stand here."

"Not going to help me?"

"Nope, it's just one bowl; I thought you could handle that."

I shook my head, while I filled the bowl and turned around, "So, what are we doing now?"

"You wait here.", the Doctor said, before turning on his heel and running off.

'Great', I thought, 'That is probably some hidden camera gag, and people all over England are going to laugh at me. And I'm just standing here with a bowl full of vinegar. How much could have cost that, to make my fellow students out of plastic? They looked real. And the robot. That must have been expensive. I didn't know that robots are so far developed. Really impressive. This blue police box… that is a mystery… and why did this man play along and kissed me?' I turned around to the buffet and saw a carrot. 'Oh! A carrot!', I thought and took one.

Then the door opened. I turned around, expecting the strange guy, but there stood the Slitheen. I let a yelp escape my lips and accidentally poured the vinegar over the Slitheen.

"Oh, no! The vinegar!", then the Slitheen exploded. I looked down at me and saw that I was full with some strange glibber.

"Great! I couldn't have done it better… well… I could, but it seems nicer to say that, right?", said the Doctor, who came running in the room.

I glared u at him and said, "You let me kill the thing?"

"Of course. I lured it here, you kill it. It's quiet simple."

"You could have warned me, that when I pour the vinegar over it, that it explodes into green glibber. Does that even get down?"

"Yeah, I think.", he said, scratching the back of his head.

"You think? I just bought those clothes yesterday. Are there more of these things? If there are then I don't let it get cleaned."

"No, I think it was the only one… in this place."

"What do you mean 'in this place'?", I mimicked his voice in the last part.

"Well, I'm sure there are some in other places."

"This thing-"

"The Slitheen", the Doctor cut me off.

The Slitheen, did it kill my professor?"

"Probably"

"Oh my god! That means I'm going to miss all my history lectures until they found a new dean and a new history lecturer."

"You study history?"

"And Physic and English Literature."

"That's impressive. But to your problem with the history lectures I have a solution.", he said grinning.

"Really? What?", I asked happily.

"You could travel with me in the TARDIS. It's also a time machine."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, why should I?"

"I don't even know you. You could be a pervert."

He looked down at himself, before saying, "That's new. No one ever said that I look like a pervert."

"Well… Perverts never look like they're perverts."

"Yeah… you're probably right. But even if, what else are you supposed to do, after all you can't go to your history lectures. And with me, you can live history."

"Well… I could attend my other courses."

"When you come with me, you could learn physic from Einstein, or Sir Isaac Newton. And Dickens is a close friend of mine."

"Seriously?"

"Of course… So, will you come with me?", he asked confidently.

I thought for a moment, "I have to go home."

"What?", the Doctor asked shocked.

"Well, I think I can't come with you, wearing this.", I said pointing at my slimy clothes.

"Oh, right. Of course. So, you come with me, don't you?", he grinned.

"Yep.", I said, popping the p.

"Then I'll bring you home then.", he grinned wider.

**First chapter's up.**

**I hope you liked it.**

**Yukiko!**


	2. Smiths and Jones

**Welcome to the second chapter of my DW-Fic.**

**I hope you'll enjoy 'Smith and Jones' with Emma.**

„Well then, Mr. and Mrs. Smith-", started Mr. Stoker

"We're not married. We're siblings. How often do I have to repeat that?", I asked.

"However, how are you today, Mister and Miss Smith?", Mr. Stoker asked, putting on a fake smile.

"Thank you…", I muttered.

"Ah, not so bad. Still a bit, you know… bleh.", said the Doctor

I shook my head when Mr. Stoker started saying "John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains. Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

A dark-skinned medical student stepped forward, pulling her stethoscope off from around her neck, "That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?", she asked the Doctor and me.

"Sorry?" the Doctor frowned.

"On Chancery Street this morning. You came up to me and took your tie off. You picked it up", the last part was directed toward me.

"Really? What did we do that for?", I asked.

"I don't know, you just did."

"Not me. I was here, in bed. Ask the nurses and Mrs. Smith over here.", the Doctor grinned at my annoyed look.

"Well, that's weird, 'cos it looked like you. Have you got a brother and a sister?"

"No, not any more. Now I only got my lovely sister Emma. Well, even though everyone thinks she's my wife.", again I glared at him.

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," Mr. Stoker remarked.

"Sorry," she nodded, bashful, "Right…" she put her stethoscope to the left of Doctor's chest, looking puzzled for a moment, before moving it to his right side. Her eyes widened as she heard a second heart beating. She looked at the Doctor who merely winked at her.

"I weep for further generations," Stoker sighed, "Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Um, I don't know...stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart," he picked up the chart and snapped his hand back, receiving a small shock.

"That happened to me this morning," Martha remarked.

"I had the same thing on the door handle," one of her fellow male students, Morgenstern, added.

"And me, on the lift," another student, a young woman, Swales, nodded.

"That's only to be expected," Stoker explained, "There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by…anyone?"

"Benjamin Franklin," I replied.

"Correct!"

"My mate Ben, that was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked…", the Doctor said.

"Quite..." Stoker trailed, eyeing the Doctor, concerned for his mental state if he thought he knew Ben Franklin.

"...and then I got electrocuted!"

"Ignore him. He has a rather active imagination.", I said with a sweet smile

"Moving on," Stoker nodded, "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric," he whispered to one of the nurses before continuing, "And next we have…"

When he was out of sight I looked at the Doctor expectantly and he grinned at me. He nodded his head and nearly jumped out of his bed.

We went to explore the hospital. After a while we came across a window and I looked at it.

"Strange. When I came in like 20 minutes ago the sky was nearly cloudless. And now it's pouring out of buckets.", I stated.

The Doctor looked over my shoulder and furrows his brows, "I've got the strangest feeling we'll find out soon enough.", then he went on. I quickly followed him. After another while the Doctor stopped in front of a room and looked inside. I looked inside as well and saw this Jones-girl. Behind her was the other medical student called Swales. The Doctor started walking again and I followed. I felt like a dog, following its owner. I was cut off my thought, as the building started shaking violently.

I was instantly swept off my feet. When the shaking stopped, the Doctor helped me up and we ran back toward the ward he was lying in. He ran toward his ward and closed the curtains behind me. Then he started to unbutton his shirt.

"What are you doing?", I hissed.

Before the Doctor could answer Jones started saying. "Alright, everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out. It's real. It's really real. Hold on!"

"Don't!", Swales sobbed. "We'll lose all the air!"

"But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So, how come?"

The Doctor pulled aside the bed curtain, now fully dressed in a blue suit, "Very good point! Brilliant, in fact"

"What was your name?", I asked blushing from seeing the Doctor naked.

"Martha."

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" the Doctor asked and she nodded, "Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be!" Swales cried.

"Obviously we are so don't waste my time."

"You're being rude again.", I aid and gave the Doctor a pointed look.

"Yeah, yeah. However, Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or..."

"By the patients' lounge, yeah," Martha nodded.

"Fancy going out?"

"Okay."

"We might die.", I pointed out.

"We might not."

"You're good. Well c'mon!" he cheered, but glanced at Swales, "Not her, she'd hold us up."

I took an annoyed breath and the Doctor grinned at me, as we left the room, Martha leading the way to the patients' lounge. We paused a moment before pushing open the doors and stepping out onto the balcony.

"We've got air!" Martha inhaled, "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," the Doctor remarked as I leaned over the ledge looking at the surface of the moon.

"I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's 21st. My mother's going to be really...really…"

"You okay?", I asked her concerned.

"Yeah."

"Sure?", the Doctor asked.

"Yeah."

"Want to go back in?"

"No way. I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same…it's beautiful.", I smiled at that.

"You think?"

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are!"

"Standing in the Earthlight.", I mused.

"What do you think happened?", Martha asked.

"What do you think?", the Doctor asked.

"Extraterrestrial," Martha said firmly, "It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded man, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

The Doctor frowned, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

"I was there. In the battle."

"I promise you, Mr. Smith, Miss Smith, we will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"It's not Smith, that's not my real name."

"Who are you, then?" Martha eyed them.

"We're not siblings.", I said.

"So you are married."

"Hell, no. We just met yesterday… kind of."

"I'm the Doctor.", said the Doctor, before Martha could ask further.

"Me too, if I can pass my exams," Martha remarked, "What is it, then, Doctor Smith?"

"Just the Doctor."

"How do you mean, just the Doctor?"

"Just...the Doctor."

"What, people call you 'the Doctor?'"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."

"Well, I'd better make a start, then," he grabbed a rock, "Let's have a look," he tossed it out and hit an invisible wall, "Thought so…some sort of force field keeping the air in."

"If that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got," Martha realized, "What happens when it runs out?"

"How many people in this hospital?" the Doctor looked at her.

"I don't know, a thousand?"

"One thousand people. Suffocating."

"Why would anyone do that?"

"Ask them yourself," the Doctor remarked, looking up as three black ships started to lower out of the sky, just outside the bubble. People ran to the windows, looking out, as they landed and creatures in black armour and helmets marched out towards the hospital.

"Aliens," Martha breathed, "That's aliens. Real, proper aliens."

"Judoon," the Doctor nodded. With that he took my hand dragged me behind him. Martha ran behind us, wanting to find out what we were up to.

The Doctor, Martha and I crouched down by a potted plant on the second floor of the hospital, looking down into the reception area where the Judoon were entering. People ran and cowered, hiding from them, especially when the chief Judoon removed his helmet to reveal what looked like a rhinoceros, "Bo sco fo do no kro blo co sho ro!"

"We are citizens of planet Earth. We welcome you in peace…" the Judoon pushed him up against a wall and shown a light in his face, "Please don't hurt me, I was just trying to help, I'm sorry, don't hurt me, please don't hurt me."

The Judoon pulled the light away, playing his words back before locking the device in a small compartment on his collar, "Language assimilated. Designation Earth English. You will be catalogued," he shined the light at the man's face again before drawing a cross on the back of his hand, "Category: human. Catalogue all suspects."

The other Judoon followed his order, walking up to people and shining their lights at them, marking the back of their hands, identifying them as human in doing so.

"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop," the Doctor remarked as as they watched the Judoon, "I like a little shop."

"Not the time Doctor.", I said.

Martha hissed, "What are Judoon?"

"Galactic police," the Doctor muttered. "Well, police for hire," the Doctor added, "More like interplanetary thugs."

"And they brought us to the moon?" Martha frowned.

"Neutral territory," the Doctor looked at her, "According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, so they isolated us. That rain? Lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop."

"What's that about 'galactic law?'" Martha eyed him, "Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No," he laughed, "But I like that. Good thinking. No, it's more simple. They're making a catalogue, it means they're after something non-human, which is very bad news for me."

"Why?" we looked at her, "Oh, you're kidding me… Don't be ridiculous. Stop looking at me like that."

"Come on, then," he stood up, pulling me up with him and left.

The Doctor sat in front of a computer with the sonic, examining it while I stood at his side, watching. Martha ran in, "They've reached third floor. What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver," he remarked.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly!"

"No, really, it is," he turned to her, holding it up, "It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Look."

"What else have you got? A laser spanner?"

"I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman…" he hit the computer, "Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon," he mumbled, "We were just travelling past, I swear, we were just wandering, we weren't looking for trouble, honestly, we weren't, but… I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and I saw that lightning, been building up for two days now, so I checked in, thought something was going on inside, it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above."

"But what were they looking for?" Martha asked.

"Something that looks human, but isn't."

"Like you. Apparently."

"Like him. But not him.", I nodded.

"Haven't they got a photo?"

"Might be a shape-changer," the Doctor remarked.

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Martha looked between us.

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution," the Doctor sighed.

"All of us?" Martha's eyes widened.

"Oh yes," the Doctor nodded, "If we can find this thing first...OH! You see they're thick! Judoon are thick! They whipped the records. Oh, that's clever."

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked.

"Don't know," he sighed, "Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms," he eyed the computer, "Maybe there's a back-up."

Martha nodded, "Just keep working. I'll go ask Mr. Stoker, he might know."

The doctor soniced the computer with his sonic screwdriver.

"So, for short. The Judoon are looking for a supposedly shape-shifter, but we can't let them find it, because they would execute us all?", I asked.

"For short.", the Doctor nodded.

I glanced at the clock and said "Wow… that's cool. Today I had my a-levels and if I have bad luck, I'm dying today. You promised me Isaac Newton. And now… what will we do now?" I asked the Doctor.

"We are looking for Martha." He answered and stood up.

"You restored the back-up?"

"Oh yes", he grinned at me and went out of the door and I followed him.

When we stepped in the hall Martha ran into the Doctor's arm and the Doctor said "I've restored the back-up."

"I've found her.", Martha breathed.

"You what?" his eyes widened, spotting a black suited man striding down the hall after Martha. The Doctor grabbed my hand and we ran off down the hall with Martha, following her back towards where she'd seen the alien. They ran down the stairwell, followed by the man, only to see the Judoon coming up the other way. The Doctor looked over and spotted a doorway, bursting through it and onto the fourth floor. We ran, the man after them, skidding around a corner and into the radiology room.

The Doctor pushed Martha and me into the operator's room and said, "When I say 'now,' press the button."

"I don't know which one," Martha shook her head.

"Then find out.", the Doctor said, while running toward the x-ray. Martha hectically looked at the buttons, before taking out the manual. I continued to look at the buttons and my eyes halted to a stop at a big yellow button.

"Now!" the Doctor shouted as the man broke through.

I slammed my hand down on a button. The Doctor and the man were flooded with radiation for a few moments before the man fell down, inert.

"What did you do?" Martha breathed as the Doctor ran down and laid a hand on the man's back.

"Increased the radiation by 5000 percent," he replied. "Killed him dead,"

"Isn't that likely to kill you?" Martha frowned at the Doctor.

"Nah, it's only radiation," he waved her off, "I used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you to come out, I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it," he started bouncing and hopping in place, "If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go, easy does it..." he shook his foot, "Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah, ah. It is…it is…it is…it is…it is HOT. Ah, hold on," he grabbed the shoe off his foot and tossed it in a dustbin, "Done."

"You're completely mad."

"Right. I look daft with one shoe," he pulled the other one off and discarded it as well, "Barefoot on the moon!"

I laughed at his madness and the Doctor flashed me a grin

"So, what is that thing?" Martha pointed at the man on the ground, "And where's it from? The planet Zovirax?"

"It's a Slab," the Doctor explained. "They're called 'Slabs'. Basic slave drones, see? Solid leather. All the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish."

Martha shook her head at him, "It came with that woman, Mrs. Finnegan. It was working for her. Just like a servant."

The Doctor looked over at his sonic, half sticking out of the x-ray machine, all blown to hell, "My sonic screwdriver."

"She was one of the patients, but…"

"My sonic screwdriver!"

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire."

"I loved my sonic screwdriver!"

"Doctor!" Martha shouted.

"Sorry," he tossed it away and smiled, "You called me 'Doctor.'"

"And she was telling you about the alien," I added, "Go on Martha."

"Thanks," she nodded at me, "Mrs. Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood."

"Funny time to take a snack," he remarked, "You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless…no… Wait a minute…yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it!"

"Come on!" the Doctor ran out of the room, "If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology, she can register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon!"

We ran out of the room until the Doctor dragged us quickly toward a water cooler. We hid behind it as the second Slab walked past us.

"Slabs," the Professor remarked, "They always travel in pairs."

"What about you?" Martha looked at them, "You two as well?"

"Um…" the Doctor blinked, glancing at me, "Suppose you could say that, yeah."

She nodded, "Well, haven't you got back up or something? A team coming?"

"Uh," he groaned, "Humans. We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're asking personal questions. Come on."

"I like that. 'Humans.' I'm still not convinced you're an alien."

They stepped out into the hall just as a Judoon held up its scanner at the Doctor's face, "Non-human."

"Oh my God, you really are!" Martha gasped.

"And again!" he shouted as they ran off down the hall, the Judoon shooting after us.

we ran up the stairs, managing to lock the door behind us, and ran into a corridor where people were on the ground, straining to breathe.

"They've done this floor," he remarked, "Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky."

Martha knelt down by Swales who was giving oxygen to a patient, "How much oxygen is there?"

"Not enough for all these people," she remarked, "We're going to run out."

"How are you feeling?" the Doctor looked at Martha and me, "Are you alright?"

"I'm running on adrenaline," she replied and I nodded.

"Welcome to my world," the Doctor muttered.

"What about the Judoon?"

"Ah, great big lung reserves, it won't slow them down. Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"

"It's this way," she led us down the hall and into Stoker's office only to see it empty, "She's gone! She was here."

"Drained him dry," the Doctor sighed as he knelt down by Stoker and touched his cheek, "Every last drop. I was right. She's a plasmavore."

"What was she doing on Earth?" Martha frowned.

"Hiding. On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on."

"Wait a minute," Martha knelt down by Stoker and closed his eyes before turning to leave with us.

"Think, think, think," the Doctor mumbled as we stepped into the hallway, "If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" I looked around and then pointed at the sign for the MRI machine, "Ah. She's as clever as us…" he flashed me a smile, "Almost."

"Thanks," I returned the grin.

"Find the non-human!" a Judoon's voice echoed to them from the end of the hall, "Execute."

The Doctor turned to Martha, "Stay here. We need time. You're going to have to hold them up."

"How do I do that?" she shook her head.

He frowned, "Martha, forgive me for this. It's to save a thousand lives, it means nothing. Honestly, nothing. Absolutely nothing."

And with that, he kissed her, before grabbing my hand and bolting down the hall.

"That was nothing?" Martha breathed as we disappeared around the corner.

We stopped to a halt in front of the MRI.

"Why did you kiss her?" I asked the Doctor.

"Why? Jealous?" he asked back with a grin.

"No… just out of curiosity." I replied.

"I transferred a bit of my DNA. It'll confuse the Judoon."

"Really? I just thought you liked to kiss girls you just met and travel with them.", I joked.

"Let's continue this argument later, shall we.", with that he silently opened the door and stepped inside. I followed him as quietly.

The silence was broken by the Doctor saying, "Have you seen…there are these things, those great big space rhino things, I mean rhinos from space. And we're on the moon. Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look," he showed her his feet, "They're alright now, perfectly good treatment, I said to my wife," he nodded at me, "'Emma, I'd recommend this place to anyone,' but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?"

"Hold her!" the woman shouted. The Slab walked forward, grabbing me. "If you move an inch, the girl is dead.

He swallowed hard and put his hand up and looked at Finnegan, "I won't move, but promise me that my wife's really safe."

"She'll be."

"Ok. Right. That thing, that big machine thing, is it supposed to be making that noise?"

"You wouldn't understand," she waved him off.

"Isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing? Like a ginormous sort of a magnet? I did magnets at GCSE. Well, I failed, but all the same."

"The magnetic setting is now set to 50,000 Tesla."

"Ooh. That's a bit strong, isn't it?"

"I can send out a magnetic pulse that will fry the brainstems of every living thing within 250,000 miles. Except me, safe in this room."

"But...hold on, hold on, I did geography for GCSE, I did pass that one, doesn't that distance include Earth?"

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift."

"I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman, hence the bunions…why would you do that?"

"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape."

"Now, that's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien."

"Right-o."

"No!"

"Oh, yes."

"You're joshing me."

"I am not."

"I'm talking to an alien? In hospital? What, has the place got an E.T. department?"

"It's the perfect hiding place. Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment I'm ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?"

"Yes. But I'm hidden."

"Oh. Right! Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans."

"They're doing what?" her eyes widened in fear.

"My wife said the big chief rhino boy, that he said, no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans...up to setting two?"

"Then I must assimilate again."

"What does that mean?"

"I must appear to be human."

"Well, you're welcome to come home, my wife, she could cook us up some dinner. She'd be honoured. We can have cake."

"Why should I have cake?" Finnegan cut in, pulling a straw from her purse, "I've got my little straw."

"That's nice. Milkshake? I like banana."

"You're quite the funny man. And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace. Steady him!"

"What are you doing?"

The Slab held him tightly as Finnegan approached with her straw, "I'm afraid this is going to hurt. But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember."

"No!", I yelled at the woman.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll be the next.", she said, before putting the straw in the Doctor's neck and started slurping. Suddenly I realised what he does. The woman assimilates the blood to appear human. But the Doctor isn't human, which means she'll be assimilated as an alien. Hopefully Martha comes before she drained him completely. I still tried to struggle, because I didn't want the Doctor to lose too much blood.

Finnegan was slurping away contentedly from the Doctor when the door burst open and Judoon entered the room with Martha.

"Now see what you've done," the old woman jumped back, the Doctor slumping to the floor, unconscious and the Slab let go off me, "This poor man just died of fright."

"Scan him!" the Judoon ordered, flashing the Doctor, "Confirmation: deceased."

"No, he can't be," Martha struggled to get through, "Let me through, let me see him."

"Stop. Case closed."

"But it was her. She killed him. She did it. She murdered him." I shouted.

"The Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not human."

"Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued," she held up her hand.

"But she's not!" Martha insisted, "She assimil-"

"Martha she drank his blood. The Doctor's blood!", I cut her off.

Her eyes widened in realization and she grabbed a Judoon scanner and flashed the woman.

"Oh, alright. Scan all you like."

"Non-human," the Judoon reported.

"What?" Finnegan's eyes widened.

"Confirm analysis."

"Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come."

"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha breathed, looking at the Doctor.

"Confirmed: Plasmavore," the Judoon continued, scanning her deeply, "I charge you with the crime of murdering the princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"She deserved it!" Finnegan spat, "Those pink cheeks and those blond curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

"Do you confess?"

"Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab…stop them!"

The Slab stepped forward, shooting, but the Judoon returned fire, disintegrating it, "Verdict: guilty. Sentence: execution."

Finnegan grinned, seeing the warning sign of the MRI machine light up, Magnetic Overload, "Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!" they raised their blaster and she screamed as they disintegrated her.

Martha and I ran to the Doctor's side.

"Case closed," the Judoon reported.

"What did she mean, 'burn with me?'" Martha asked, "The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something."

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse."

"Well, do something! Stop it!"

"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate."

"You can't just leave it. What's it going to do?"

"All units withdraw."

The Judoon turned and walked out of the room, "You can't go. That thing's going to explode and it's all your fault!"

But it was too late, the Judoon had gone.

Martha shook her head and turned to the Doctor, starting CPR, "One, two, three, four, five," she gave him a breath, "One, two, three, four, five," and another

"Two hearts!", I said.

"One, two, three, four, five," she pumped his left one, "One, two, three, four, five," and then his right. She took one last breath of air and gave it to him, reviving him. He started coughing, his eyes red as she fell to the floor, "The scanner…she did something…"

Coughing, the Doctor looked at it and crawled, staggering to the MRI machine controls. "It's the red one." I said, also coughing, because I didn't get enough oxygen.

The Doctor came back and helped me up, before he lifted Martha and carried her toward a window. I stumbled behind him. We watched the Judoon leave.

"Come on, come on, come on," the Doctor muttered, "Come on, Judoon, reverse it!" we started smiled widely as it started to rain.

"It's raining, Martha," I whispered, even though she couldn't hear, "It's raining on the moon."

And in a flash of white light, we were all back on earth.

Then we quickly made our way out of the hospital and the Doctor handed Martha over to a man from an ambulance. We stayed there a little longer, catching our breaths properly. Then we headed toward the TARDIS. As we were in front of the TARDIS we looked over at Martha and the Doctor and I waved at her. She looked at us smiling, before turning toward her sister. The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS and we stepped inside. He made his way toward the control panel and started to press various buttons and lever.

"So, where are we heading now? Get Martha?", I asked.

"Exactly. She said there was a party for her brother. Let's visit her there.", said the Doctor.

"She never mentioned where it was.", I remarked.

"Ah, we'll find it.", he grinned at me and pulled the final lever.

After about 6 tries we arrived in a backstreet near a club. We turned various corners, before arriving at the street where the party was. The Doctor leaned on the wall and we watched the scene.

A blonde woman stormed out of the restaurant, a black woman followed her., "Oh, stay!" the dark skinned woman said sneakily, "Have a night out!"

"Don't you dare," a black man called after the blond woman, "I'm putting my foot down. This is me, putting my foot down!" but sadly it was not, because he took off after her.

"Dad!" another dark skinned man, a lot younger than the other, shouted, shaking his head as his parents walked off before following after the man.

"Make a fool of yourself!" her mother continued to shout, "God knows, you've been doing it for the last 25 years! Why stop now?"

"Mum, don't!" another black woman, again younger, called as her mother stormed off after them, jogging to follow, "I asked the DJ and he's playing that song later…"

Martha sighed, shaking her head at her family when she caught sight of the Doctor and me standing at the corner of an alley across the street. We smiled and turned to head back down it, Martha running towards us. She stepped around the corner to see us standing against the blue box from before.

"I went to the moon today," she remarked.

"A bit more peaceful than down here," he laughed.

"You never even told me who you are."

"The Doctor."

"Emma Smith."

"What sort of species again?" she asked, "It's not every day I get to ask that."

"I'm a Time Lord. Emma's human." the Doctor told her.

"Right!" she laughed, "Not pompous at all, then."

"We just thought, since you saved our lives," the Doctor continued, "And I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip?"

"What, into space?"

"Well…"

"I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad..."

"If it helps, we can travel in time, as well," I added with a smile.

"Get out of here."

"We can," the Doctor insisted.

"Come on now, that's going too far."

"Well, then," the Doctor opened the door to the box, "We'll just have to prove it."

I followed him into the TARDIS. Martha watched in shock as the box faded out with a wheeze.

The Doctor pressed some buttons and levers and ran toward the door and I followed.

The Doctor peeked around the corner of an alleyway, looking around.

"Over there!" I pointed towards Martha, walking down the street on her phone that morning. He grinned and ran over to her.

"Hi, Annalise…" Martha Jones grimaced.

She frowned, and quickly snapped her phone shut just as the Doctor and I ran up in front of her.

"Like so!" he smiled, pulling off his tie, "See?"

She looked at him, the man in the brown suit, puzzled and more than a bit amused. I picked up the tie again, waved at Martha and dragged the Doctor back to the TARDIS. When we arrived in Martha's original time the Doctor tried to fold the tie.

"Told you.", he grinned as I decided to help him. I folded the tie and straitened it and smiled up at him.

"I know, but..." her eyes widened, "That was this morning! But…did you...oh, my God! You can travel in time!" I laughed, "But hold on, if you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden," the Doctor replied. "Except for cheap tricks,"

"And that's your spaceship?" Martha asked, eyeing the box.

"It's called the TARDIS," the Doctor said, "Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

"Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate."

The Doctor simply pushed the door open, "Take a look."

Martha stepped in, the Doctor and I following her but leaning against the railing by the door as she stopped short and looked around.

"Oh, no, no," she shook her head, running out again, "But it's just a box!" she ran around the outside of it, "But it's huge. How does it do that? It's wood!" she knocked on it, "It's like a box with that room just rammed in," she stepped back in.

"It's bigger on the inside," the Doctor mouthed along as Martha shouted it.

"Is it?" the Doctor asked, "I hadn't noticed," The Doctor closed the door and took off his coat and tossed it over a Y-beam, "Alright, then, let's get going."

"But is there a crew?" Martha looked at him, "Like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"Just me," the Doctor told her, walking to the console, "Well, Emma's also there, but she can't fly the TARDIS"

"All on your own?"

"Well, sometimes I have guests," the Doctor said, his tone growing a bit sad, "I mean some friends, travelling alongside. We had…there was recently a friend of mine. Rose, her name was, Rose. And...we were together. Anyway…"

"Where is she now?"

"With her family," the Doctor reminded himself, "Happy. She's fine. Not that you're replacing her."

"Never said I was."

"Just one trip to say 'thanks,' you get one trip, then back home. I'd rather it be me and Emma."

"Oh, I feel honoured.", I muttered.

"You're the one that kissed me," Martha teased, "Don't think your wife would be too happy with that. "

"I'm not his wife.", I said, for the hundredth time.

"And if you will wear a tight suit..." she continued.

"Now...don't!" the Doctor turned to her.

"And then travel all the way across the Universe just to ask me on a date..."

"Stop it," the Doctor snapped, glancing at me, unnoticed by everyone.

"For the record? I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans."

"Good," he nodded, happy that was settled.

The Doctor pressed buttons and pulled lever yet again, before asking, "Ready?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Off we go!" he pulled it and the TARDIS jolted and shook, making him fall over.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy!"

"Welcome aboard, Martha," I and the Doctor grinned at her.

"It's my pleasure, Ms. Smith, Doctor," she laughed as the TARDIS hurtled through space.

**Finito!**

**Second chapter is up! YAY!**

**Emma and the Doctor met Martha. Until now they're all on good terms, but will it last?**

**I suggest you to read on, if you want to know.**

**Yukiko!**


	3. The Shakespeare Code

**HEY-YO!**

**It's the third chapter, 'The Shakespeare Code'**

**So, enjoy!**

The Doctor quickly turned a wheel on the console as Martha and I held on, the TARDIS shaking.

"But how do you travel in time?" Martha asked them, "What makes it go?"

"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything," the Doctor remarked, "Martha, you don't want to know. It just does. Hold on tight!"

The Doctor leaned over the console, hitting a switch as the TARDIS landed and we all fell to the floor, the Doctor half landing on top of me, making us both laugh.

"Blimey!" Martha stood up, "Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes," the Doctor said, pushing himself off me and helping me up, "And I failed."

"Now, make the most of it! I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door..." he stopped at the door and faced her, "Brave new world."

"Where are we?" Martha asked excitedly.

"Take a look," he pushed the door open, "After you."

Martha stepped through to find herself on an Elizabethan street at night, people just wandering about, doing their normal routines, "Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me. Oh, my God! We did it. We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language. When are we?"

The Doctor looked up and quickly pulled Martha and me back as a man dumped the contents of a chamber pot out the window, "Mind the loo!"

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet," he remarked, "Sorry about that."

"I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift at A&E. But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

"Of course we can," the Doctor nodded as they headed off, "Why do you ask?"

"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."

"Well, tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?"

"What if, I dunno, what if I…kill my grandfather?"

"You planning to?", I asked her

"No."

"Well, then."

"This is London."

"I think so… Right about 1599"

"Oh, but hold on," Martha cut in, "Am I alright? I'm not gonna get carted off as a slave, am I?"

"Why would they do that?" the Doctor frowned.

"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed."

"I'm not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me. Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there," he pointed to a man shovelling manure, "They've got recycling, water cooler moment"

"…and the world will be consumed by flame!" a preacher called out as we walked by.

"Global warming," the Doctor agreed when his gaze landed on something, "Oh, yes, and...entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark right next to..." He took my hand and we ran around a corner, "Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe… It's a tetra decagon. 14 sides. Containing the man himself."

"Whoa, you don't mean...is Shakespeare in there?" my eyes widened.

"Oh, yes," he held out an arm, "Miss Smith, Miss Jones, will you accompany me to the theatre?"

Martha nodded and linked her arms with his, "Yes, Mr. Smith, I will."

"Oh, of course.", I smiled, doing the same as we started to go.

"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare!" the Doctor added.

"Then I could get sectioned!" Martha laughed.

"I think my professors will ask me, if I'm crazy, when I told them about Shakespeare." I said.

As we arrived the Globe was packed, everyone standing around, cheering, applauding as the actors took their final bows.

"That's amazing!" Martha breathed, "Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?"

"London never changes," the Doctor remarked.

"I wished we had seen the whole play." I said and look to the Doctor.

He gave me a grin. "Typical for an English literature student."

"Where's Shakespeare? I wanna see Shakespeare," she raised her fist, chanting, "Author! Author!" the Doctor looked at her, "Do people shout that? Do they shout 'Author?'"

A man behind us took up the chant and it spread.

"Well...they do now." I laughed.

And then the man himself strutted out onto the stage, taking an exaggerated bow, blowing kisses to the crowd, the audience going wild, cheering and screaming.

"He's a bit different from his portraits," Martha remarked.

"Genius," the Doctor nodded, "He's a genius, THE genius. The most human human that's ever been. Now we're gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

"Shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare called, earning a laugh out of the audience.

I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on the Doctor's face, "Oh yes, brilliant, that was absolutely brilliant."

"Oh, well," he shrugged.

"You should never meet your heroes," Martha smiled.

"You have excellent taste!" Shakespeare continued, "I'll give you that," he pointed to someone, "Oh, that's a wig! I know what you're all saying. 'Loves Labor's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls?' Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius," he bowed a moment before jerking upright, "When? Tomorrow night," the audience cheered though even Shakespeare looked stunned at what he'd said, "The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it 'Loves Labor's Won!'"

The audience applauded loudly as the Doctor and I remained quiet.

"I'm not an expert," Martha began as we walked out of the theatre, "But I've never heard of 'Loves Labor's Won.'"

"Exactly," I nodded, thoughtful, "It's a lost play. It doesn't exist, or it shouldn't, only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. No one knows why."

"Have you got a mini-disk or something? We could tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint."

"No," the Doctor shook his head.

"That would be bad?"

"Yeah. Yeah."

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?"

"Well…" the Doctor considered it, "I was just gonna give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS but I suppose…we could stay a bit longer."

"Well, I suggest we find the Inn where William Shakespeare stays in to find out more.", I said.

The Doctor grinned and dragged us to 4 Inns before we arrived at the Elephant Inn.

"I've just got the final scene to go," we heard the man in question saying, "You'll get it by morning."

"Hello!" the Doctor knocked on the open door, "Excuse us! We're not interrupting, are we? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?" he stepped into the room, Martha and I hidden behind his back

"Oh no, no, no, no," Shakespeare moaned, "Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be good and shove…"

And then his eye caught Martha and me standing just behind them, peeking out at him.

"Hey, nonny nonny," he breathed, "Sit right down here next to me," he turned to the two young men, two of the actors from his show, that he had been talking to before, "You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

"Come on, lads," the innkeeper ushered them, "I think our William's found his new muses."

"Sweet ladies," Shakespeare smiled at Martha and me as we sat at the table before him, "Such unusual clothes. So...fitted."

"Um, verily, forsooth, egads," Martha tried to say in the speech of the times.

"No, no, don't do that," the Doctor whispered as he sat down beside me, "Don't," he turned to Shakespeare and held out the psychic paper, "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and these are my companions Miss Emma Smith and Miss Martha Jones."

"Interesting, that bit of paper," he eyed it, "It's blank."

"Oh, that's...very clever," the Doctor looked at him, impressed, "That proves it. Absolute genius."

"No, it says so right there," Martha took the paper, "Sir Doctor, Emma Smith, and Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it's blank," Shakespeare countered.

I peered at it and said "I have to agree with Mister Shakespeare. It is blank."

"Well, that was clear." the Doctor said before explained to Martha quietly, " Psychic paper, shows people what you want them to see."

Martha nodded, understanding.

"Psychic," Shakespeare tested the word, "Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady and this beautiful Scottish Rose?"

"What did you say?" Martha and I turned to him, Martha being slightly offended.

"Do you mean the Scottish Rose? This should describe me." I joked.

"No. I meant the blackamoor lady." Martha explained.

"Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric…"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"It's political correctness gone mad," the Doctor agreed.

"Martha's from a far-off land," the Doctor turned to Shakespeare

"Freedonia," the Doctor finished.

"Freedonia?" I hissed at him, he shrugged.

"Excuse me!" an older man barged into the room, "Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr. Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it 'round," Shakeups replied.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!"

"I can't."

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled."

"It's all go, 'round here, isn't it?" Martha remarked.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, 'Love's Labor's Won' will never be played," and with that, he turned and stormed out of the room.

"Well, then..." Martha turned back around a few moments later, "Mystery solved. That's 'Love's Labor's Won' over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know...more mysterious."

Martha was cut off by someone screaming outside. We got up and ran out into the street to see the old man from before stumbling about, spitting up water.

"It's that bloke!" Martha gasped.

"What's wrong with him?" the Doctor frowned, "Leave it to me…I'm a doctor!"

"So am I, near enough," Martha added as we ran over to the man, I and Shakespeare following. They reached him just as he collapsed to the ground, the Doctor running down the street to look around as Martha knelt beside him, listening for his heartbeat and breathing, "Gotta get the heart going. C'mon, can you hear me? You're gonna be alright…" she moved to start mouth-to-mouth when water started to gush from him.

"Doctor!" I called. He ran back over.

"What the hell is that?" Martha gasped.

"I've never seen a death like it," the Doctor said, "His lungs are full of water, he drowned, and then...a blow to the heart, an invisible blow."

The Doctor stood up and looked at the innkeeper, "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural, if unfortunate, demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir," she nodded and turned to go off.

"I'll do it, ma'am," a young girl with brown hair stepped up to the innkeeper before walking away with her.

"And why are you telling them that?" Martha hissed as the Doctor knelt back down by them

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages," he replied, "If we tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?"

"Witchcraft."

After that we walked back inside. Shakespeare plopped down on a chair and sat there quietly.

"I got you a room, Sir Doctor," the innkeeper told us as we stood in Shakespeare's room, "You, Miss Martha and Miss Jones are just across the landing."

He nodded his thanks and the woman left.

"Poor Linley," Shakespeare remarked, "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

"Where a woman can do what she likes," Martha corrected.

Shakespeare turned to me and said "And you, my Scottish Beauty. You hide something. Something so big, but you don't even realise what it is."

I looked at him curiously to what he was talking about, but he turned toward the Doctor.

"You, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading," he shrugged.

"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do," he looked at Martha, "You, you look at him like you're surprised he exists. He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me."

"I think we should say good night," Martha remarked, turning to leave.

"I must work. I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of yours."

"All the world's a stage," the Doctor replied from the doorway.

"Hm, I might use that," Shakespeare commented, "Good night, Doctor, Miss Emma Smith."

"Nighty-night, Shakespeare," the Doctor nodded as we turned and left.

Martha examined the room when the Doctor and I entered, it was small with a little desk and one bed.

"It's not exactly five-star, is it?" she remarked.

"Oh, it'll do," the Doctor looked around.

"I haven't even got a toothbrush."

"Ooh…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow brush, "Contains Venusian spearmint."

"So, who's going where? I mean, there's only one bed."

"We'll manage," the Doctor flopped onto the bed.

"Which means: him on the floor, us on the bed," I told her with a grin.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and didn't move an inch.

"That's a surprise," she shook her head, "It's a little bit 'Harry Potter.'"

"Wait till you read book seven," the Doctor looked at her, "Oh, I cried."

"But is it real, though? I mean, witches, black magic, and all that, it's real?"

"'Course it isn't!"

"Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break."

"Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't," the Doctor says, "Can't be."

"Are you gonna lie there all night?" I looked at the Doctor.

"Yep, but you could join me.", he grinned.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Martha, would you give me a hand?"

At first Martha looked confused, but then she grinned and we both pushed the Doctor off the bed.

"Hey! That's not nice!"

I smiled at him, before plopping down on the bed. Martha lay down beside me.

"However, there's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that," the Doctor said in thought, "Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that," he looked over at Martha and me, "No. There's something we're missing, Martha, Emma. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it. Rose would know. A friend of mine, Rose. Right now, she'd say exactly the right thing…" he sighed and looked at the ceiling, "Still, can't be helped. You're a novice, never mind."

"Great," Martha frowned, before rolling over and blowing out the candle.

I stayed awake the whole time. I looked up at the ceiling and thought of nothing. I was really bored out of my mind, but then there was a scream heard.

I jumped out of the bed and the Doctor was already at his feet. We ran toward Shakespeare's room and I noticed Martha stumble behind us.

Shakespeare woke with a start, "Wha…what was that?"

The Doctor knelt down by the innkeeper's body that lay prone on the floor and reached out and touched her neck, looking for a pulse. Martha ran to the window.

"Her heart gave out," the Doctor murmured, "She died of fright."

"Doctor? Emma?" Martha called.

"What did you see?" he got up and joined her at the window.

"A witch…"

(^.^)

The Doctor, Martha and I were sitting at Shakespeare's desk as he lamented about the innkeeper, "Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"'Rage, rage against the dying of the light,'" the Doctor recited.

"I might use that."

"You can't," I told him, "It's someone else's."

"But the thing is," Martha frowned, deep in thought, "Linley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright, and they were both connected to you."

"You're accusing me?" Shakespeare gaped at her.

"No, but I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches."

"I have? When was that?"

"Not quite yet," the Doctor told her.

"Peter Street spoke of witches."

"Who's Peter Street?" Martha asked.

"The architect." Shakespeare responded, "He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect," the Doctor mumbled, "Hold on. The architect! The architect!" he slammed his fist on the table, "The Globe! Come on!" he ran out of the room with Martha, Shakespeare and I following after.

(^.^)

The Doctor stood in the pit of the theatre while Martha Shakespeare and I stood on stage, just looking around, "The columns there, right?" the Doctor pointed, "14 sides. I've always wondered but I never asked..." he looked at Shakespeare, "Tell me, Will, why 14 sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Street thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well."

"Why does that ring a bell? 14…"

"There are 14 lines in a sonnet," Martha supplied.

"So there is. Good point."

"Words and shapes, following the same design. 14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets… Tetra decagon..." he murmured, following her line of thought himself, "Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"This is just a theatre," Shakespeare shook his head.

"Oh, but a theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time...oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that..."

"It's like your police box," I called, "Small wooden box with all that POWER inside."

"Oh!" the Doctor looked at her, "Oh, Emma Smith, I like you!"

"Tell you what, though. Peter Street would know. Can we talk to him?"

"You won't get an answer," Shakespeare sighed, "A month after finishing this place...lost his mind."

"Why?" Martha looked at him, "What happened?"

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

"Where is he now?" the Doctor asked.

"Bedlam."

"What's Bedlam?" Martha asked.

"Originally Bethlem Hospital. It's a madhouse now though. We're gonna go there. Right now. Come on," he turned and led us out, Martha following, along with Shakespeare and I.

"Wait!" he called, "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand!" he ran off after us, passing two of the cast as he moved, and handing them the script, "Ralph, the last scene as promised. Copy it, hand it round. Learn it. Speak it. Back before curtain up. Remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know, the Queen might turn up," he jumped off the stage, "As if. She never does."

Martha, Shakespeare and I followed the Doctor down the street towards the hospital.

"So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors," Shakespeare asked Martha.

"This country's ruled by a woman," she reminded him.

"Ah, she's royal. That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty."

"Whoa nelly!" she stopped, "I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

"But Martha, this is the Town."

"Come on," the Doctor called, "We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare grinned.

I laughed, "57 academics just punched the air."

"Tell me about it," the Doctor muttered before calling back, "Now move!"

We started running after him.

(^.^)

I looked around sadly as loud screams and moans sounded while we were led down the hall towards Peter's cell.

"Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits?" a jailer grinned at us, "I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!"

"No, I don't!" the Doctor glared.

"Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies," the jailer nodded and walked off.

"So this is what you call a hospital, yeah?" I glared at Shakespeare, "Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia."

"But you're clever! Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

"I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

"Mad in what way?"

"You lost your son," I recalled, looking at him sadly.

"My only boy," he nodded, "The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

"I didn't know," Martha breathed, "I'm sorry."

"It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be...oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down," the Doctor gave a little smile.

"Hm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?"

"This way, m'lord!" the jailer called from down the hall. They walked over to where he was waiting, holding the door to Peter's cell open, "They can be dangerous, m'lord. Don't know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don't whip them!" the Doctor snapped at him, "Now get out!" they waited till the jailer left before the Doctor slowly approached Peter, "Peter? Peter Street?"

"He's the same as he was," Shakespeare remarked, "You'll get nothing out of him."

"Peter?" he placed a hand on Peter's shoulder and the man's head jerked up to look at him with wide, glassy eyes.

He placing a hand on either side of Peters head, closing his eyes.

"Peter, I'm the Doctor," he said soothingly, "Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Listen. That's it, just let go," he stood up, lying Peter down on the cot, "Tell us the story, Peter. Tell us about the witches."

"Witches spoke to Peter," Peter explained, "In the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. THEIR design! The 14 walls, always 14. When the work was done…" he laughed, "They sapped poor Peter's wits."

"Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city?" he crouched down, "Peter, tell us. You've got to tell us where were they?"

"All Hallows Street."

"Too many words!" an old woman screeched.

The Doctor spun around to see what looked like a wizened woman, a witch, standing behind him. He jumped back, standing between Martha and I

"What the hell?" Martha breathed.

"Just one touch of the heart," the witch turned and laid a hand on Peter's chest.

"No!" the Doctor shouted as Peter screamed and died.

"Witch!" Shakespeare gasped, "I'm seeing a witch!"

"Who would be next, hmm?" the witch turned to them, "Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."

"Let us out!" Martha ran to the door, "Let us out!"

"That's not gonna work," the Doctor told her, "The whole building's shouting that."

"Who will die first, hmm?" the witch smirked.

"Well, if you're looking for volunteers," the Doctor stepped up.

"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare asked.

"No mortal has power over me," the witch sneered.

"Oh, but there's a power in words," the Doctor remarked, "If I can find the right one…if I can just know you..."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think..."

"Doctor," I cut in. He looked at her, seeing her shaking slightly but she just looked at him, "Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy...14?" he stared at her, "The 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Yes!" he grinned, turning to the witch and pointing, "Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

The witch wailed and disappeared. "What did you do?" Martha gaped.

"I named her," he replied, "The power of a name. That's old magic."

"But there's no such thing as magic!"

"It's a different sort of science," the Doctor explained, "You use mathematics and, given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare frowned.

The Doctor sighed, "The end of the world."

(^.^)

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the Universe," the Doctor explained as we sat in Shakespeare's room, "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"Well, I'm going for real," Shakespeare muttered.

"But what do they want?" Martha asked.

"A new empire on Earth. A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?"

"I'm looking at the man with the words."

"Me?" Shakespeare frowned, "But I've done nothing."

"Hold on, though," Martha looked at him, "What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?"

"Finishing the play."

"What happens on the last page?" the Doctor asked after a moment.

"The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual… except those last few lines. Funny thing is...I don't actually remember writing them."

"They used you," the Doctor rationalized quietly, "They gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code. 'Love's Labor's Won,' it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing! And yes, you can have that."

(^.^)

"All Hallows Street," the Doctor looked at a map, "There it is. Martha, Emma, and I, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play!"

"I'll do it," he nodded, shaking the Doctor's hand, "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing. And you're beautiful Scottish Rose isn't bad either."

"Oh, don't complain," Martha smiled.

"I'm not. It's marvellous. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck, Shakespeare!" he called as he headed for the door, "Once more unto the breach!"

"I like that. Wait a minute...that's one of mine."

The Doctor poked his head back in, "Oh, just shift!"

(^.^)

The Doctor, Martha and I ran into the street, stopping short and looking around for the house, "All Hallows Street, but which house?" the Doctor wondered.

"The thing is, though...am I missing something here?" Martha asked, "The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me…I'm living proof."

"Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux? I know! 'Back to the Future!' It's like 'Back to the Future!'"

"The film?"

"No, the novelization. Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away," her eyes widened, "Oh my God, am I gonna fade?"

"Yes. You, Emma, and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?" the door to one of the houses opened by itself, "Ah, make that WITCH house," he sighed, and we walked inside to see the maid from the inn standing there, waiting, "I take it we're expected."

"Oh, I think death has been waiting for you a very long time," the woman smirked.

"Right then, it's my turn," Martha stepped forward, "I know how to do this," she pointed, "I name thee Carrionite!" but nothing happened, "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"

"The power of a name works only once," the woman pointed at Martha, "Observe. I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones," Martha collapsed and the Doctor caught her, lowering her to the ground

"What have you done?" the Doctor glared at the witch.

"She's sleeping." She said.

"Alas, she is," the woman sighed, "Curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time. And as for you, Sir Doctor!" she pointed at him but nothing happened, "Fascinating. There is no name,"

"But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant...Rose."

"Oh, big mistake," the Doctor glared, standing up, "'Cos that name keeps me fighting! The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?"

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"And how did you escape?"

"New words. New and glittering from a mind like no other."

"Shakespeare."

"His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?"

"Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the Universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."

"Hmm...busy schedule...but first you gotta get past me."

"Oh, that should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape," the woman smirked, running her fingers along his face.

He snatched her wrist, stepping back, "Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not gonna work on me…" he paused, "At least not from you."

The woman smirked, glancing at me, before back at the Doctor, "Oh, we'll see," she reached up her other hand and yanked out a piece of his hair, backing away.

"What did you do?" he demanded, fingering his head.

"Souvenir."

"Well, give it back!" the woman just threw her arms up and the window behind her opened, allowing her to fly out backwards and hover outside, "Well…that's just cheating."

"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets."

He eyed the doll she pulled out as she wrapped his hair around it, as Martha woke, "That's just a DNA replication module," she remarked.

The woman glared at her, "What use is your science now?"

She stabbed the doll and the Doctor gripped his left heart, falling to the floor in pain. The woman cackled and flew off as I knelt by his side.

"Oh my God!" Martha gasped, scrambling over to help her support him, "Doctor! Don't worry, we've got you…Hold on mister, two hearts."

"I might gonna have it, a little.", he jumped up, but then he yelped in pain and crouched down on his knees. "I've only got one heart working. How do you people cope? I've got the other one started. Hit me on the chest." Martha hit him on the chest, "Ah! The other side!", Martha hit him again, "Hit me on the back, "Martha hit him yet again, "A bit on the left.", she hit him another time

He took a deep breath as the heart kicked back in, "Ah, lovely," he leaned a bit more on her as she helped him stand, "There we go! Ba-da-boom! Well, what are you standing there for? Come one! The Globe!"

And with we, they ran out of the room, out of the house, and back down the street towards the Globe.

"Wrong way!" I shouted as he made a right at a corner.

"No, it's not!" he called back, before turning around and dashing past them again, "Wrong way!"

We heard people screaming as they neared the theatre. There was a red glow around the top of it.

"I told thee so!" the preacher pointed at it, "I told thee!"

"Stage door!" the Doctor pointed and they dashed for it, thunder clouds and lightening forming and mixing with the red as they burst out backstage to see Shakespeare rubbing his head, "Stop the play! I think that was it. Yeah, I said, 'Stop the play!'"

"I hit my head," he mumbled.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald," the audience screamed and he looked at Martha and I, "I think that's our cue!"

She took a breath and took his hand, the two of them running out onto the main stage with Martha pulling Shakespeare along after us.

"Now begins the millennium of blood!" the Carrionites shouted with glee.

"The Doctor!" the maid glared, "He lives! Then watch this world become a blasted heath! They come! They come!"

The Doctor gave a brief pause as the Carrionites were freed from a crystal ball in the maid's hand and flew around the Globe before grabbing Shakespeare, "Come on, Will! History needs you!"

"But what can I do?" he asked.

"Reverse it!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it!"

"But what words? I have none ready!"

"You're William Shakespeare!"

"But these Carrionite phrases, the need such precision!"

"Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm, words that last forever! That's what you do, Will! You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise!"

Shakespeare nodded and stepped forward, "Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!"

"No!" the maid screeched, "Words of power!"

"Foul Carrionite specters, cease your show! Between the points..." he looked at the Doctor.

"7-6-1-3-9-0," the Doctor told him.

"7-6-1-3-9-0! And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..." he looked back again, at a loss of words.

"Expelliarmus!" I supplied.

"Expelliarmus!" the Doctor agreed.

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare shouted.

"Good old J.K.!" the Doctor beamed as the Carrionites screamed.

"The deep darkness!" the maid wailed as they were sucked up in the cloud, along with all the papers of the play, "They are consumed! Ah!"

"'Love's Labor's Won,'" the Doctor sighed, "There it goes."

The swirling red cloud dissipated and the audience sighed in relief before they started clapping. The Doctor, ducked out as the actors took their bows.

"They think it was all special effects," Martha laughed.

"Your effect is special indeed," Shakespeare grinned at her.

"It's not your best line," she laughed, taking a bow with him.

The Doctor moved over to the box the Carrionites had been standing in and spotted the crystal with the three witches trapped inside. He picked it up, tossing it to his other hand before turning around

(^.^)

The next morning Martha and Shakespeare were sitting at the edge of the stage with me and the Doctor rooted around backstage.

"And I say, a heart for a hart and a dear for a deer," Shakespeare finished his joke. I laughed, understanding the context and language, the play on words, but Martha frowned.

"I don't get it," she admitted.

"Then give me a joke from Freedonia."

"OK, Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says, 'Oi, mate, you're bard.'"

I and Shakespeare laughed at that this time, "It's brilliant!" Shakespeare grinned, "Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that," he wrapped his hand around her waist as I looked away to give them some semblance privacy, "Come here."

"I've only just met you," Martha remarked.

"The Doctor might never kiss you. Why not entertain a man who will?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but your breath doesn't half stink."

"Oh no…" I shook my head with a smile. They looked over to see the Doctor emerge from backstage wearing a ruff collar and carrying an animal skull.

"Good props store back there!" he grinned, "I'm not sure about this though," he looked at the skull, " Sycorax?"

"Sycorax," Shakespeare tested it, "Nice word. I'll have that off you as well."

"I should be on 10 percent," he remarked, "How's your head?"

"Still aching."

"Here, I got you this," he put the collar on Shakespeare's neck, "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might wanna keep it. It suits you."

"What about the play?" Martha asked.

"Gone. I looked all over, every single copy of 'Love's Labor's Won' went up in the sky."

"My lost masterpiece," Shakespeare sighed.

"You could write it up again," Martha looked at him.

"Yeah, better not, Will," the Doctor frowned, "There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

"Oh, but I've got new ideas," he nodded, "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."

"Hamnet?" Martha eyed him.

"That's him."

"Ham-NET?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Anyway," the Doctor cut in, "Time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot," he held up the crystal globe, "Can scream for all eternity and I've gotta take Martha back to Freedonia."

"You mean travel on through time and space?" Shakespeare grinned.

"You...what?"

"You're from another world like the Carrionites, and Emma and Martha are from the future. It's not hard to work out."

"That's...incredible. You are incredible."

"We're alike in many ways, Doctor. Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady…"

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" Shakespeare recited, "Thou art more lovely and more temperate…"

"Will!" one of the actors shouted, running on stage, "Will! You'll never believe it! She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town," a second man added, "She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Her Majesty! She's here!"

"Queen Elizabeth I!" the Doctor beamed as the queen strode in with fanfare.

"Doctor!" she glared at him.

"What?" he frowned.

"My sworn enemy!"

"What?"

"Off with his head!"

"What?"

"Never mind 'what,' just run!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him off.

"See you, Will!" Martha called back as she ran after us,"And thanks!"

"Stop that pernicious Doctor!" the queen shouted and her guards ran after them, following usa through the streets as we raced back to the TARDIS.

"Stop in the name of the Queen!" one shouted.

"What have you done to upset her?" Martha looked at the Doctor.

"How should I know?" he replied, "Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you! Still, can't wait to find out…" he unlocked the door to the TARDIS and ushered Martha in before grinning at me, "That's something to look forward to. Oh!"

He grabbed me and we ducked inside as archers fired at them, embedding an arrow in the door as the TARDIS disappeared.

**FIN**

**Another chapter's up.**

**Hope you liked it**

**Yukiko!**


	4. Gridlock

**HELLO!**

**Next chapter is up.**

**Enjoy 'Gridlock'**

Martha sat demurely on the captain's chair, I was standing next to the Doctor and watched what he was doing.

"Just one trip," he remarked, "'S'what I said. One trip, in the TARDIS, and then home. Although…" he made a dramatic break, "I suppose we could…stretch the definition. One trip to the past, one trip to the future. How do you fancy that?"

"No complaints from me!" Martha laughed, grinning widely.

"How about a different planet?" the Doctor asked.

"Can we go to yours?" Martha got up excitedly and walked over to us.

I looked to the Doctor and saw that he was kind of shocked. Martha didn't noticed that.

"Ah, there's plenty of other places!", the Doctor said.

"Come on, though! I mean, planet of the Time Lords, that's got to be worth a look! What's it like?"

"It's beautiful," the Doctor said quietly, looking at the console absently, just thinking about his lost home.

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?"

"Suppose it is," the Doctor nodded.

"Great big temples and cathedrals!"

"Yeah…" the Doctor breathed.

"Lots of planets in the sky?"

"The sky's a burnt orange," he murmured, "With the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever, slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow…"

"Can we go there?"

"Naah!" he shook his head, faking excitement. "Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home! Instead…" he started to dance around the console, setting controls, "This is much better. Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth! Second hope of mankind! Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically, it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New-New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

He headed for the door, throwing on his coat. He threw the doors open and led us out…into the pouring rain. I was luckily wearing a hoodie, but Martha seemed not to like the rain.

"Oh, that's nice!" Martha zipped up her jacket, "Time Lord version of dazzling."

"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone," he grinned at us.

"Come on, let's get under cover!" the Doctor said.

He dashed over to an awning sticking out of the side of a building in an alleyway nearby, the three of us ducking under as we looked around at the slummy portion of the city we'd found ourselves in. On either side of us were what looked like trailers with old laundry lines swinging across us.

"Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me," Martha remarked, "On a Wednesday afternoon."

"Hold on, hold on," he looked around, "Let's have a look," he turned and spotted a dead screen on the wall, pulling out the sonic and flashing it. Static appeared and he banged the top of it as a blonde woman flickered onto view, giving a report.

"…and the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway," the image shifted to a pristine New New York, the amazing spired city at the coast of the river, cars zooming over to it.

"Oh, that's more like it!" he beamed, "That's the New I had last time. This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city."

"You've brought us to the slums?" Martha looked around a bit.

"Much more interesting! It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

"You'd enjoy anything.", I remarked.

"When you say 'last time', was that you and Emma?" Martha asked.

"Well it's my first time in New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. So you was here with Rose, don't you?", I asked.

"Um…yeah. Yeah, it was, yeah."

"You're taking us to the same planets that you took her?" Martha looked at him.

"What's wrong with that?" he frowned, confused.

"I don't have a problem with that. It's still a new planet."

"Nothing," Martha remarked, "Just…ever heard the word 'rebound?'"

I just was about to say something when suddenly a man flipped open the top of one of the trailers to reveal a vendor's cart, the other trailers around us doing the same.

"Oh!" the first vendor called, "You should have said. How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy!"

"Customers!" a second shouted, "Customers! We've got customers!"

"We're in business!" the third grinned, "Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read!"

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!"

"Anger! Buy some Anger!"

"Get some Mellow, makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long!"

"Younger, them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some Happy?"

"No, thanks," the Doctor frowned.

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha grimaced.

"It sound's more like moods… but they can't sell emotions, can they?", I looked at the Doctor.

"No, they're actually selling moods.

"Same thing, isn't it?"

Other bedraggled looking people started to filter into the alley behind them, the vendors starting to call out their wares, trying to get customers, when a pale, blond woman in black walked towards a stall.

"Over here, sweetheart! That's it, come on, I'll get you first!"

"Oy! Oy, you! Over here! Over here! Buy some Happy!"

"Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget," the woman told the third vendor.

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father. They went on the Motorway."

"Oh, that's so sweet," she reached behind her, pulled out a small circular token, and held it up to the girl, "Try this. Forget 43. That's two pence."

The woman paid her, taking the token and starting to get it off.

"Sorry, but…hold on a minute," the Doctor stepped over to her, "What happened to your parents?"

"They drove off."

"They might drive back."

"Everyone goes to the Motorway in the end. I've lost them."

"But they can't have gone far. You could find them," the woman stared at him a moment longer before putting the token on her neck, "No, no…no, don't!"

The woman blinked a few times before smiling at them, dazed, "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Your parents," the Doctor tried to remind her, "Your mother and father. They're on the Motorway."

"Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry. I won't keep you," we turned and watched her go, the Doctor pensive, me frowning, and Martha looking upset.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future," Martha scoffed, "Off their heads on chemicals."

The Doctor turned to retort when two figures sprang out from behind her, carrying guns, and dressed in dark clothing. One of them, a man, grabbed Martha from behind, throwing his arm around her neck, and dragging her back while the other, a woman, pointed her gun at the Doctor and me.

Martha screamed and struggled but the two were quick, pulling her away, "I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry," the woman told them, "We just need three, that's all."

"No, let her go!" the Doctor shouted as he tried to hold me back from running after them, "I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go!"

"I'm sorry," the woman cried, "I'm really sorry. Sorry," she backed up until they'd disappeared through a door, slamming it closed behind them.

The Doctor and I ran over after them, the Doctor flashing the sonic and yanking it open. We ran down a dark corridor after the kidnappers, watching as they burst through a door at the other end.

As we ran closer we could hear Martha shouting, "The Doctor is so gonna kill you, so is Emma! Actually never mind them, I'm gonna kill you myself! Let go of me!" there was a pause and then Martha started screaming, "Don't you dare! Don't put that stuff in me, don't! Get off me! I'm telling you, don't!"

We bust out through the doors only to see a car rising into the air and speeding off down a small alleyway and out of sight.

"Martha…" I breathed,

The Doctor took my hand and pulled me back through the alleyway towards the vendors, pounding on one of the doors till the third vendor opened up, "Thought you'd come back! Do you want some happy Happy?"

"Those people…who were they?" he demanded, "Where did they take her?"

"They've taken her to the Motorway," the first vendor called, emerging.

"Looked like carjackers to me," their vendor nodded.

"I'd give up now," the second added, "You won't see her again."

"Used to be thriving in this place," the first sighed, "You couldn't move. But they all go to the Motorway in the end."

The Doctor whirled on them when I spoke, "He kept on saying three, we need three. What did he mean, three?"

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel," their vendor replied, "You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This Motorway…how do we get there?" the Doctor looked at her.

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You can't miss it," he nodded and they turned to stride off, "Tell you what…how 'bout some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my love!"

The Doctor whirled back, "Word of advice, all of you. Cash up. Close down. And pack your bags."

"Why's that, then?"

"Because as soon as we've found her, alive and well…and we will find her, alive and well…then we're coming back. And this street is closing. Tonight!"

The vendors glanced at each other, apprehensive before the Doctor turned and pulled me with him.

(^.^)

The Doctor flashed the sonic across the door reading 'Motorway Access,' forcing it open with a large clang. He and I stepped through onto a platform covered in smog, thousands of cars before them, locked in a traffic jam.

I gagged, "What is that?"

Just then a door to one of the floating cars opened and a man stood before them, his face covered in protective gear, a scarf wrapped around his face, "Hey! You daft little street struts! What are you doing, standing there? Either get out or get in! Come on!" the Doctor took my hand, helping me struggling to breathe into the car as the man slammed the door shut behind us, "Did you ever see the like?"

"Here you go," a dark haired woman in the back of the car handed the Doctor an oxygen mask which he took and quickly held to his face and, passing it to me and nodding gratefully at the woman.

"Just standing there, breathing it in!" the man pulled off his goggles and cap to reveal a cat-like face, "There's this story says back in the old days, on Junction 47, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet!"

"Oh, you're making it up," the woman remarked.

He made his way to the front of the car, hopping in the driver's seat.

"A fifty-foot head! Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

"Stop it. That's disgusting."

"What? Did you never pick your nose?"

"Bran, we're moving!" the woman cried, running to sit beside him.

"Right. I'm there. I'm on it," he pulled a lever on the console and the engines kicked on, moving them forward only a short distance, "Twenty yards! We're having a good day," the woman smiled at him before they both turned to look at the Doctor and me, "And who might you be? Very well dressed for hitchhikers."

"Thank you," I rasped, "I'm Emma."

"I'm the Doctor."

"Medical man!" Bran laughed, "Ha ha! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valarie."

"Nice to meet you," Valarie smiled.

"And that's the rest of the family behind you."

The Doctor turned and pulled back a curtain, revealing a basket of adorable kittens of varying colours.

"Aww…" I smiled at them. I reached out and gently scooped up a tiny black one, "They're beautiful, hello," I cooed at the kitten before looking up at Valarie, "How old are they?"

"Just two months," Valarie smiled.

"Poor little souls," Bran sighed, "They've never known the ground beneath their paws," he looked back at the Doctor's puzzled expression, "Children of the Motorway."

"What, they were born in here?" he frowned.

"We couldn't stop," Valarie nodded, "We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"What? You've been driving for two months?"

"Do I look like a teenager?" Bran laughed, "We've been driving for twelve years now."

"I'm sorry?" I blinked as the Doctor looked equally as stunned.

"Yeah! Started out as newlyweds! Feels like yesterday."

"Feels like twelve years to me," Valarie remarked.

"Ah, sweetheart, but you're still lovely," he tickled her and she giggled.

"Twelve years?" the Doctor gaped, "How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park. It's five miles back."

"You travelled five miles in twelve years?" I frowned.

"I think they're a bit slow," Bran remarked to his wife.

I turned and put the kitten back.

"Where are you from?" Valarie asked them.

"Never mind that, we've got to get out," the Doctor shook his head, "Our friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. We should get back to the TARDIS," he turned to open the door next to him but the smoke poured into the vehicle.

"You're too late for that," Bran called, "We've passed the lay-by," the Doctor coughed and shut the door, "You're a passenger now, Sonny Jim!"

"When's the next lay-by?" I turned to him.

"Oh…six months?"

(^.^)

The Doctor knelt before the screen in the side of the car, flashing the sonic across it until the insignia of the New New York Police Department came up, "I need to talk to the police," he called into the transmitter.

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

"But you're the police!"

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."

He put the receiver down and scrambled to the front of the car and moved to examine the screen to try and hack contact with the police.

"Is there anyone else?" the Doctor asked, "I once met the Duke of Manhattan, is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh, now, ain't you lordly?" Bran remarked.

"We've got to find our friend."

"You can't make outside calls," Valarie told him, "The Motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?" I asked.

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah," Bran nodded, "Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list."

"Do you think any of them might have seen something?" she asked hopefully.

"Maybe…let's see…who's nearby? Ah! The Cassini sisters!" he picked up his own transmitter, "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

"Get off the line, Brannigan," an old woman called back, "You're a pest and a menace."

"Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"You know full well we're not sisters. We're married."

"Ooh, stop that modern talk! I'm an old fashioned cat. Now, I've got hitchhikers here, call themselves Emma and the Doctor."

He handed the Doctor the transmitter, "Hello. Sorry. We're looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been car-jacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but we don't know which one."

"Wait a minute," another old woman called, "Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"

"Where were we?" the Doctor looked at them.

"Pharmacy Town.", said the cat.

"Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago," he turned back to the receiver.

"Let's have a look…" the second woman muttered, "In the last half hour, 53 new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction."

"Anything more specific?"

"All in good time. Was she car-jacked by two people?"

"Yes, she was, yeah."

"There we are. Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had at least three on board. And car number is four six five diamond six."

"That's it! So how do we find them?"

"Ah. Now, there I'm afraid I can't help."

"Call them on this thing," the Doctor turned to Bran, "We've got their number. Diamond six."

"Not if they're designated fast lane," Bran shook his head, "It's a different class."

"You could try the police," the second woman suggested.

"They put us on hold," I remarked.

"You'll have to keep trying," the first woman called, "There's no one else."

"Thank you," he sighed, handing Bran back the transmitter., "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take us down."

"Not a million years," he shook his head.

"You've got four passengers!"

"I'm still not going."

"She's alone," the Doctor called, drawing their attention, "And she's lost. She doesn't belong on this planet. And it's all my fault. I'm asking you, Brannigan…take us down."

"That's a no," Valarie cut in, "And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there."

"Why not? What's the risk? What happens down there?"

"We're not discussing it! The conversation is closed!"

"So we keep on driving?"

"Yes, we do," Bran nodded.

"For how long?"

"'Till the journey's end."

The Doctor frowned, before getting up and going to the front of the car, snatching the transmitter back, "Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the Motorway?"

"Oh, we were amongst the first," the first woman replied, "It's been 23 years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"

"…I'm not sure," the second admitted.

"Look at your notes. Any police?"

"Not as such."

"Or an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official? Ever?"

"I can't keep a note of everything."

"It's because there's no one out there," he told us, "The police station, it's all on automatic. It's receiving but no one is sending anything, not ever."

Bran reached out and snatched the transmitter back, "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you a favour."

"Someone's got to ask," the Doctor defended her, "'Cos you might not talk about it, but it's there. In your eyes. What if the traffic jam never stops?"

"There's a whole city above us. The mighty city-state of New New York."

"I just told you, it's all on automatic. So what now? Hmm? There's no help coming, not ever. There's nothing. Just the Motorway, with the cars going round and round and round, never stopping."

"Shut up!" Valarie snapped, "Just shut up!"

The screen flickered on and the blond woman they'd seen on the monitor in Pharmacy Town appeared again, "This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

"You think you know us so well, Doctor," Bran remarked, "But your friend is wrong. We're not abandoned. Not while we have each other."

Valarie smiled.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads," Sally continued, "We're so sorry. Drive safe."

And then a hymn began to play, Bran and Valarie singing along, "On a hill, far away, stood an old, rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain. So I'll cherish the old, rugged cross, rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down, I lay down. I will cling to the old, rugged cross, rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown."

The Doctor shook his head at them, "If you won't take me, I'll go down on my own."

"Not without me," I moved to join him, crouching beside the hatch on the floor.

He looked up at her sharply, "No, you've got to stay here."

"Doctor…"

"I mean it. You inhaled too much of those fumes trying to assess it. You could damage your lun…"

"Martha is my friend too. I'm going."

He looked at me, staring into my eyes, only to see a fierce determination and protectiveness. He sighed, "Of course."

I nodded, looking around as he soniced the floor.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bran gasped, seeing what they were preparing to do.

"Finding my own way," he replied, "I usually do."

"Capsule open," an automatic recording announced.

Valarie and Bran looked on in horror as the hatch opened to show hundreds of cars below them, one stopping just under them.

I looked at him, "Here we go."

He nodded, taking off his coat and tossing it to Valarie, "Look after this. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat."

"But you can't jump!" Valarie cried.

"If it's any consolation, Valarie," the Doctor looked up, "Right now, I'm having kittens."

"This Martha…she must mean an awful lot to you two," Bran remarked.

"We hardly know her," I breathed.

"I was too busy showing off," the Doctor admitted, "And I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied."

"Good luck."

I looked at them before the Doctor jumped down, landing on the next car shortly followed by me. He pulled out the sonic and flashed the top of the car, popping open the top of it and dropping down, reaching up to help me down as well before he crouched to work on the bottom door.

"Capsule open."

"Who the hell are you?" a man, completely white from head to toe, gasped.

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," I responded quickly, "We're doing a survey. How are you enjoying your Motorway?"

"Well, not very much. Junction Five's been closed for three years!"

"Thank you," I nodded, "Your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!"

They jumped through the bottom of the car, continuing down.

"Capsule open."

Two very startled Asian girls looked back at us as they worked on the floor.

"Thank you for your cooperation," the Doctor remarked.

"Your comments have been noted," I added, before picking up two bandanas and handing on the Doctor, "We might need these."

"Not my colour but thank you very much."

We dropped down.

"Capsule open."

"Oh!" the Doctor looked away quickly, spotting two very naked drivers, "Don't mind us."

We dropped down into another one.

"Capsule open."

The Doctor saluted a man, entirely red this time, before we continued on. That went on for a while.

(^.^)

"Capsule open."

A very stark man in a pinstripe business suit spun around as the Doctor and I jumped down into his car, "'Scuse me, is that legal?"

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," the Doctor began before he started coughing, "Whatever."

I asked, "Have you got any water?"

"Certainly," the man nodded, filling a cone-shaped plastic cup with water and handing it to me, "Never let it be said I've lost my manners."

I nodded my thanks, took a gulp and handed it to the Doctor, tugging down his scarf so he could drink it.

"Is this the last layer?" the Doctor asked.

"Ah, we're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane."

"Can we drive down? There's three of us.", I asked.

"Honestly…I'd rather not."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, not seeing what the big deal with the fast lane was, "If you'll excuse me," he flashed the bottom of the car and flipped the panel to the side.

"You can't jump! It's a thousand feet down!"

"No, we just want to look," the Doctor reassured him. The Doctor and I stared down into the thick, murky fog of exhaust, dotted with tiny lights, faintly visible through the dense smog. A screeching roar echoed up to them.

"What's that noise?" I frowned.

"I try not to think about it," the businessman replied.

The Doctor looked down as he squinted through the fog, "What are those lights? What's down there?" he coughed, waving the fog from his face, "I just need to see."

The Doctor went over to the main screen, "There must be some sort of ventilation," he reasoned, flashing the sonic, "If I can transmit a pulse through this, I should be able to trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze. Got it!"

He turned around and smiled as the ventilation kicked in.

"What are those shapes?" the businessman asked as we stared through the bottom of his car, the smoke clearing to reveal huge, snapping claws.

"They're alive," the Doctor breathed.

"What the hell are they?"

"The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy," the Doctor explained, "Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't exactly look like empire builders to me," I commented.

"Well, that was billions of years ago. Billions. They must've devolved down the years. And now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry. And our friend's down there."

There was a clank above us and we looked up.

"Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!" the man sighed.

A pair of feet dangled down through the opening in the top of the car before someone in a grey habit dropped down.

"We've invented a sport!", I joked.

"Doctor," a woman with a greying cat-like face greeted, "Emma, you're hard ones to find."

"No guns!" the businessman pointed at her gun, "I'm not having guns!"

"I only brought this in case of pirates. Doctor, Emma, you've got to come with me."

I frowned and looked at the Doctor, "Do you know her?"

He frowned and eyed the cat, she smiled back at him sadly, "You haven't aged at all. Time has been less kind to me."

"Novice Hame!" he realized, hugging her.

"I've sought forgiveness," Hame told us, "For so many years, under his guidance. And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

"We're not going anywhere," the Doctor shook his head, "You've got Macra living underneath this city. Macra! And if our friend's still alive, she's stuck down there!"

"You've got to come with me right now!"

"No, no, no, you're coming with us."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. But the situation is even worse than you can imagine," she grabbed his wrist and mine's hitting a device on her wristband with the back of her other hand, "Transport."

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare!"

But it was too late.

The three of us disappeared in a haze of white light, reappearing in a large dusty room with streams of sunlight flooding in through cracks in the walls.

"Oh!" I groaned as I picked myself off the floor.

"Rough teleport. Ow. But you can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha.", said the Doctor

"I only had the power for one trip."

"Then get some more!"

"Where are we?" I frowned, looking around.

"High above, in the over-city," Hame replied.

"Good!" the Doctor nodded, "'Cos you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word. They've got thousands of people trapped on the Motorway! Millions!"

"We're in the senate,"Hame said, "May the goddess Santori bless them," Hame breathed, turning on the lights to reveal the chamber full of skeletons, "They died, Doctor. The city died."

"How long's it been like this?" he asked

"24 years," Hame said.

"All of them? Everyone? What happened?", I asked.

"A new chemical," Hame said, "A new mood. They called it Bliss," she knelt down by a skeleton and peeled off a small token, the words 'Bliss' on it, "Everyone tried it. They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished…even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the Motorway aren't lost. They were saved."

"And the whole thing down there switched to automatic," he realized.

"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's 'we?'" I looked at her.

"How did you survive?" the Doctor agreed.

"He protected me," Hame smiled, "And he has waited for you, the two of you, these long years."

"Who? And why for me too?" I shook her head.

"Doctor," a voice called from the back of the room, "Emma."

The Doctor looked over, his eyes widening as he recognized an old friend, he ran over to the glass casing and knelt before it.

I slowly went to join him.

"I knew you would come," Boe replied.

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse, as penance for my sins," Hame explained.

"Old friend, what happened to you?" the Doctor asked.

"Failing," Boe sighed.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke," Hame stated, "But with no one to maintain it, the city's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"So he saved them," the Doctor nodded.

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are planets out there. You could have called for help."

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. Automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years," Hame said.

The Doctor looked at the Face of Boe, concerned, as he stood, "So the two of you stayed here, on your own, for all these years."

"We had no choice," Hame looked at him.

"Yes, you did," he reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Save them, Doctor," Boe pleaded, "Save them."

(^.^)

The Doctor and I stood before a screen, looking at the cars registered below, "Car Four Six Five Diamond Six," the Doctor read with his specs on.

"It still registers! That's Martha!", I said cheerfully.

"I told you she was good," the Doctor grinned.

The Doctor turned to Hame, "Novice Hame, hold that in place," he jumped back from the screen, handing her a thick piece of tubing before running along its length and over a box of lights and buttons, "Think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity beds…"

"There isn't enough power," Hame called.

He ran to a far wall with two screens on it and tons of wiring, even more buttons, "Ah, you've got power! You've got me! I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch! "Hame, every switch on that bank, up to maximum!"

"We can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people," he said, banging his fist onto the console as he jumped up.

"So what are you going to do?" Hame asked.

"This!" he flipped two long switches on the floor and the lights went out, "No, no, no, no, no, no!" he knelt down on the floor, waving the sonic around, trying to find out what was wrong. "The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through. There's got to be some way to override them."

"Doctor…" Boe called out.

"Yeah, hold on, not now."

"I give you my last…" he let out a long, rasping breath and every switch on the console turned back on, powering up.

"Hame, look after him!" the Doctor called, "Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this," he flicked the switch again and the lights shown brighter, "The open road. Hah!"

We ran to the window, looking out as the path to the under-city started to open, allowing the sun to stream down into it for the first time in too long.

The Doctor dashed back to the computer, me following after. I watched as he typed in a small command and the screen started to broadcast him, "Sorry everyone, Sally Calypso was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor," he gestured toward me, "And this is Emma. Now listen, everyone needs to drive up. Right now. I've opened the roof of the Motorway but you _need_ to drive up. All of you, the whole under-city. Drive up, fast as you can 'cos we've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way. And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six! Martha! Drive up! You've got access above! Now go!"

The Doctor watched the cars fly off on the screen, "You keep driving, Brannigan, all the way up!" he called before rushing over to the window, where I already stood, with the transmitter to look out, "'Cos it's here, just waiting for you. The city of New New York. And it's yours. And don't forget…I want that coat back."

"I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir," Bran called over the receiver.

"And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six," the Doctor continued, "The Professor's sent you a flight path. Come to the Senate."

"On my way!" Martha cheered.

"It's been quite a while since we saw you, Martha Jones."

"Doctor!" Hame called, "Emma!"

We looked over to see her desperately leaning over the Face of Boe as the glass around him started to crack before it finally shattered…

~8~

Martha leapt happily into the Senate only to stop, spotting the skeletons sitting in the seats around her, "Doctor? Emma?"

"Over here," I called.

"Emma!" she smiled, running over to them, "What happened out there?" she slowed, seeing them kneeling with a cat-nun by a large, weary face, "What's that?"

"It's the Face of Boe," the Doctor introduced, "It's alright. Come and say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry."

"He's the one that saved you, not us," I told her as Martha knelt down across from me.

"My lord gave his life to save the city," Hame whispered, "And now he's dying."

"No, don't say that," the Doctor shook his head, "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

"It's good to breathe the air once more," Boe inhaled.

"Who is he?" Martha breathed.

"I don't even know," the Doctor sighed. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

"Everything has its time," Boe looked at them, "You both know that, old friends, better than most."

"The legend says more," Hame added softly.

"Don't," the Doctor shook his head, "There's no need for that."

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to travelers."

"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?"

"I have seen so much," Boe told them, "Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor."

"That's why we have to survive," he whispered, "Both of us. Don't go."

"I must. But know this, Time Lords. You are not alone."

The Doctor stared at the Boe, uncomprehending, as his eyes closed for the last time. Hame started to sob as Martha stood. I looked at Boe intensely, before standing up as well. A few seconds later, the Doctor stood up as well.

(^.^)

We walked back through the vendor's street, heading towards the TARDIS, the street deserted, everyone leaving now that the under-city was open.

"All closed down," the Doctor remarked.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy," he grinned, making us laugh, "New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs, cats in charge! Come on, time we were off."

"But what did he mean, the Face of Boe?" Martha asked, "'You're not alone.'"

I wanted to add something, but decided against it.

"I don't know.", the Doctor shook his head.

"You've got Emma and me. Is that what he ment?"

The Doctor glanced at me and said, "I don't think so. Sorry."

"Then what?" Martha frowned.

"Doesn't matter. Back to the TARDIS, off we go," he turned away to head off again, when Martha grabbed a fallen chair and put it down, sitting on it and crossing her arms, waiting till he turned back, "Alright, you staying?"

"'Till you talk to me properly, yes. He said 'last of your kind.' What does that mean?"

"It really doesn't matter," the Doctor tried again.

"You don't talk. You never say! Why not?" she looked around as the singing of the hymns started again, "It's the city. They're singing."

"I lied to you," the Doctor sighed, "Because then…I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky."

Martha blinked, shocked, and utterly sad for him.

"I'm not just Time Lords," the Doctor swallowed, "I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else."

"What happened?" Martha asked quietly.

The Doctor looked around a moment before spotting a chair, dragging it over so he could sit down. I looked for a chair for myself. I dragged it over as well.

"There was a war," the Doctor told her, "A Time War. The Last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost…everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky. You should have seen it, Emma, Martha. The second sun would rise in the south and the mountains would shine! The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire…"

**The End**

**Jep, well. I didn't understand the part after that, so I left it like that.**

**Like always I hope you enjoyed reading this Fan-Fiction.**

**Yukiko!**


	5. Daleks in Manhatten

**Hello Whovians!**

**Enjoy another adventure with the Doctor and Emma… and Martha!**

The TARDIS materialized in front of a white stone wall, Martha stepping out first followed by the Doctor and me.

"Where are we?" Martha looked around.

"Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze," the Doctor inhaled, "Nice and cold. Lovely. Martha, Emma have you met my friend?" he gestured behind him, where the Statue of Liberty was standing.

"Is that...oh my God! That's the Statue of Liberty!"

"Gateway to the new world," the Doctor nodded, "'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free…'"

"'…the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the Homeless, Tempest-Tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.'", I finished, before saying, "She was a present of the French people. The statue represents Liberta, the roman goddess of freedom. She's about 151 ft tall… Well from the ground to the torch she's about 305 ft tall. There are about 200 imitations of it, but only 5 of them – with the Statue of Liberty - are tourist attractions. They stand in New York - of course – in Paris, since 2007 stands one in Las Vegas, in Colmar – the birth city of Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the designer of the Statue of Liberty - and in Germany, where the biggest imitation stands. It's about 115 ft tall."

"Woah. Did you learn that from Wikipedia of something?", asked Martha, clearly impressed.

"No, I saw it in a documentation when I was 17. It was very interesting."

"And you still remember it?"

"Yes.", I answered.

"That's brilliant.", the Doctor grinned at me.

"That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new…", Martha said.

"I also liked the new new new new… and so on", I said.

"Well, there's the genuine article," the Doctor led us to a ledge, looking out at the New York skyline, "So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

"I wonder what year it is 'cos look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet.", Martha said.

"Work in progress. Still got a couple floors to go, and, if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around..."

"November 1, 1930," Martha looking at the date in a newspaper she picked up, while the Doctor talked.

"Really good.", the Doctor said, turning toward Martha.

"Eighty years ago," Martha shook her head, still looking at the paper as the Doctor walked over and looked at it, "It's funny 'cos you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are," she looked up as the Doctor took the paper, "It's real. It's now," she laughed, "Come on, you two. Where do we go first?"

"I think our detour just got longer," he remarked, holding up the paper.

"'Hooverville Mystery Deepens,'" Martha read the headline, "What's Hooverville?"

(^.^)

The Doctor, Martha and I strolled through Central Park on our way to Hooverville, "Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago. Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then…" the Doctor trailed.

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah?" Martha asked, "When was that, 1929?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yeah. Whole economy wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed. Suddenly the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So they ended up here in Central Park." The Doctor explained.

"Not only in the Central Park. There were Hoovervilles all over the United States. The term Hooverville was coined by Charles Michelson. He was something like the PR Manger of the Democratic Party. The Democrats brought out even more negatively affected word creations with Hoover. Such as 'Hoover blanket', because old newspapers were used as blankets, and 'Hoover flag' when an empty pocket turned inside out. 'Hoover leather' was cardboard used to line a shoe when the sole wore through. A 'Hoover wagon' was an automobile with horses hitched to it because the owner could not afford fuel.", I added.

"So did I understand you right: Did they actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?", Martha asked.

In response, the Doctor moved his right eyebrow up. We arrived very quickly in Hooverville. We stepped past a collection of shacks and tents set up haphazardly around the area.

"Ordinary people," the Doctor sighed, "Lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. Like Emma already said: There are places like this all over America. No one is helping them. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go. "

We fell silent when the sound of shouting reached them from another part of Hooverville, "You thievin' lowlife!" someone shouted. We stepped around a corner in time to see a man punch another man, others rushing to try and break them up, "That's my loaf!"

"I didn't touch it!" the other man defended.

An older black man stepped out of his tent and stormed over to them, "Cut that out!" the two men ignored him, "Cut that out! Right now!" he shoved them apart.

"He stole my bread!" the first man accused.

"That's enough!" he glared at them before turning to the second man, "Did you take it?"

"I don't know what happened," the second man shook his head, "He just went crazy."

The first man lunged but was held back, "That's enough!" he looked at the second man again, "Now think real careful before you lie to me."

"I'm starvin', Solomon," he complained.

Solomon held out his hand and the man dropped his head, pulling the bread out of his coat and handing it to him, "We're all starvin'," Solomon said firmly, breaking the bread in half, "We all got families somewhere," and handed a half to each man.

"Seems like his parents had foreseen this day as they gave him his name." I whispered.

"What do you mean", Martha asked me.

"You know… King Solomon… the judgment of Solomon? Never heard of it?" Martha shook her head. "King Solomon is a historical figure, which is also mentioned in the Bible. The Bible says God would want to fulfil him a wish and Solomon wanted wisdom to rule his people justly can. God was so impressed that he in addition to wisdom also a long life, wealth and victory over his opponents also donated. And his judgement is also very famous. Two women were fighting about a baby. Both claimed to be the child's mother. So they went to the King. Solomon had no chance to decide who would be the mother. So he wanted a sword and wanted to divide the child in two, so every of the two women would have a half baby. So one of the women wanted to give the living baby to the other. And so Solomon decided that this woman has to be the mother."

"Well… you are better than Wikipedia, I guess", Martha said impressed.

The Doctor grinned and we turned back to watch Solomon finish off the confrontation, "No stealin' and no fightin'. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together! No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

The men nodded and turned to "Come on," the Doctor whispered to them, walking over to Solomon, "I suppose that makes you the boss around here."

"And, uh, who might you be?" Solomon looked over at them.

"He's the Doctor, she's Emma, and I'm Martha," Martha introduced.

"A doctor? Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighbourhood gets classier by the day," he remarked as he warmed his hands over a fire.

"How many people live here?" Martha looked around.

"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society, black, white, all the same. All starving," he laughed bitterly, "So you're welcome. The three of you. But tell me, Doctor, as man of learning...explain this to me," he pointed to the Empire State Building, "That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

(^.^)

Solomon threw coffee dregs onto his fire as the trio approached him again later on, having looked around Hooverville themselves and gotten nowhere on the mystery, "So…men are going missing," the Doctor held up the newspaper, "Is this true?"

Solomon sighed, taking it, "It's true alright," and turned to go inside his tent.

"But what does missing mean exactly?" the Doctor called as they stood outside the tent. "Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"C'mon in," he waved to them as he sat, the three of them took what seats they could find around him, "This is different."

"In what way?" Martha frowned.

"Someone takes them. At night. We hear something. Someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" the Doctor asked.

"Doctor, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

"Have you been to the police?" Martha shook her head.

"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."

"The question is, who's taking them and what for?" the Doctor said, in thought, while playing with his ear.

Just then a young man stuck his head inside the tent, "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here."

Solomon sighed and got up, walking out of the tent, leading them to a small crowd of Hoovervillians gathered around a man in a black suit with slicked back hair who they could only assume was Diagoras.

"I need men," he was saying, "Volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."

"Yeah," the young man who had gotten them called in his Tennessee accent, "What is the money?"

"A dollar a day."

The men grumbled.

"What's the work?" another asked.

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

"A dollar a day?" Solomon scoffed, "That's slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?"

"Accidents happen."

"What do you mean?" the Doctor frowned, "What sort of accidents?"

"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?" the Doctor raised his hand, "Enough with the questions."

"Oh, n-n-no," the Doctor stuttered, "I'm volunteering."

"What," Martha asked shocked.

"You must not come with me. Of course it would be safer if you two would stay in Hooverville," the Doctor said.

"I'll come with you. I think we can't be safer than with you", I said and raised my hand.

"I'll kill you for this," Martha grumbled as she slowly raised her hand as well.

Finally Solomon and the young man raised their hands too.

(^.^)

"Turn left," Diagoras instructed, standing at the bottom of the ladder to the sewer as everyone climbed down, "Go about half a mile, follow Tunnel 273, fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" the young man, whom we'd learned was named Frank, asked.

"When you come back up."

"And if we don't come back up?" the Doctor looked at him.

"Then I got no one to pay."

"We'll be back," Solomon promised.

"Let's hope so," Martha remarked as they turned and walked down the tunnel.

The Doctor looked at me before he took my hand and we both were walking behind the group. To be honest I had a bad feeling about Mr. Diagora but I didn't know why. Something was strange about him.

"We just gotta stick together," Frank told Martha, "It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here."

"So what about you, Frank?" she looked up at him, "You're not from around these parts, are you?"

"Oh, you could talk. No, no, I'm from Tennessee, born and bred."

"So how come you're here?"

"Uh, my daddy died. Mama…couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself, so put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in camp younger than me. From all over. Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas…Solomon keeps a lookout for us. So, what about you? You're a long way from home."

"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too."

"You stick with me, you'll be alright."

"So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" the Doctor asked Solomon as they walked.

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now it seems like he's running most of Manhattan."

"How did he manage that, then?"

"These are strange times. A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way 'round."

"Whoa!" the Doctor stopped short, spotting a sickly purple blob on the ground, giving off a green light.

"Is it radioactive or something?" Martha asked, stepping closer. I went right behind her and look at this thing "It's gone off, whatever it is," she grimaced and covered her nose with her hand. The Doctor simply slipped on his glasses and picked up the blob, "And you've got to pick it up."

The Doctor sniffed it, "Shine the torch through it. Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human. I know that."

"Well, I guess everybody of us would have known that" I whispered.

"We need to rig a DNA scanner or something," the Doctor told us, "Examine it properly." Suddenly he was standing up, "And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in..."

"I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mr. Diagoras send up down here?"

"So where are we now?" Martha looked up, "What's above us?"

"Well… the middle of Manhattan", the Doctor said.

(^.^)

"We're far beyond half a mile. There's no collapse, nothing," Solomon frowned.

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.

"Looks like it," the Doctor sighed.

"So why did he want people to come down here?" Frank shook his head.

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these three back," the Doctor nodded at Frank, Martha and me, "I'll be much quicker on my own."

A squealing sounded from down the tunnel.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon gasped.

"Hello?" Frank called.

"Shh," Martha hissed.

"Frank..." Solomon warned.

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" Frank defended, "You'd be scared, half mad, down here on your own."

"Do you think they're still alive?" the Doctor looked at him.

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."

There was another squeal.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that," Solomon remarked.

"Where does it come from?" Frank asked, "Sounds like there's more than one of 'em," Frank looked around.

"This way," the Doctor took a few steps forward.

"No, that way," Solomon shown his light down another tunnel where there was a figure sitting, huddled on the ground.

"Doctor…" Martha called as he came back.

I went slowly in the direction of the strange figure and crouched down before it. "Hello sweetheart", I said in a friendly way.

"Who are you?" Solomon asked the figure.

"Are you lost?" Frank started forward, "Can you understand me? I've been thinkin' about folk lost…"

The Doctor stopped him, "It's alright, Frank. Just stay back. Emma you should stay calm. Let us have a look," he looked at me, I nodded and he walked towards the figure, crouching down before it, "He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own," the creature squealed, "We know the way out. Daylight. If you want to come with us..." he shown his light on it, revealing a man with a pig face, "Oh, but what are you?"

"It seems like a mutant, I guess. But I think he is not bad at all", I whispered to the Doctor.

"Is, uh, that some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asked.

"No, it's real," the Doctor said. He nodded looking at the Pigman in pity, "I'm sorry. Now listen to me, I promise we can help. Now, who did this to you?"

"He really wants to help you. Just trust him", I said to the Pigman.

"Doctor, Emma, I think you'd better get back here," Martha called as a row of Pigmen filled up the opposite end of the tunnel, "Doctor! Emma!"

The Doctor stood, helping me up, "Actually…good point..." we slowly backed up towards the others again.

"They're following you," Martha breathed, seeing the Pigmen watching the two of us.

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks. Well then, Emma, Martha, Frank, Solomon…"

"What?"

"Um, basically…run!", he took my hand again and we ran together.

And with that, we took off down the tunnel, the Pigmen following, till we reached a cross section. Martha paused, looking around, "Where are we going?"

"This way!" the Doctor sped past her with me, running to the right, the Pigmen chasing them.

"There's a ladder!" I called, spotting one at the end of the tunnel, while the Doctor wanted to run in another direction. We ran for it, the Doctor climbing up first to use the sonic, opening a manhole cover. Martha followed, then me, and Solomon. Solomon hesitated, seeing Frank pick up a metal rod to fight the Pigmen with.

"Frank!" he shouted, starting to climb the ladder. Frank looked back, seeing them up, and ran for it as well. He'd made it only half way when the Pigmen appeared behind him, "C'mon, Frank! C'mon!"

"I've got ya," the Doctor reached down to help him, "C'mon!"

The Pigmen clambered up after him, grabbing his legs, pulling him back down.

"Frank!" Solomon shouted.

"No!" the Doctor moved to go back down when Solomon shoved him aside and closed the lid, trapping the Pigmen down there.

"We can't go after him..." he breathed

"We gotta go back down! We can't just leave him!"

"No, I'm not losing anybody else! Those creatures were from Hell! From Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

Suddenly a blond woman jumped out from behind a shelf, a gun aimed right at them, "Alright then, put 'em up. Hands in the air and no funny business," we all put our hands up., "Now tell me, you schmucks, what've you done with Lazlo?"

"Uh, who's Lazlo?" Martha frowned.

(^.^)

The woman sat in her dressing room, the gun still aimed at them as they stood in her doorway, "Lazlo's my boyfriend, or was my boyfriend until two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, no nothin'. And I'm not stupid," she waved the gun around haphazardly, "I know some guys are just pigs but not my Lazlo. I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

"It might...might just help if you put that down," the Doctor remarked, eyeing the gun warily.

"Huh?" she looked over to see the gun still in her hand, "Oh, sure," and tossed it on a chair, "Oh, c'mon... It's not real. It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear."

"What do you think happened to Lazlo?" Martha asked.

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip, vanished."

"Listen, ah...what's your name?" the Doctor asked.

"Tallulah."

"Tallulah?"

"3 Ls and an H."

"Right. Um, we can try to find Lazlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creatures," Solomon breathed, "Such creatures."

"Whaddaya mean 'creatures?'" she frowned.

"I think it would be better if not everybody would know about these creatures", I said in a strict way to Solomon.

"Look," the Doctor cut in, "Listen, just trust me, everyone is in danger. We need to find out exactly what this is," he pulled the blob from his pocket, "Because then we'll know exactly what we're fighting."

"Yech!" Tallulah leaned back, disgusted.

(^.^)

Martha and I were waiting for the Doctor in Tallulahs Dressing room.

"Lazlo… he wait' for me after the show. Brought me home like I'd be a lady. He leave a flower on my dressing table. Every day just a single rosebud", Tallulahs told us.

"Very romantic", I said.

"Haven't you reported him missing", Martha asked and stood up.

"Sure. He's only stagehands. Who cares. The management certainly not."

"Can't you kick off a fuzz or something?" Martha asked.

"In that case they would fire me",

"They would listen to you. You're one of the stars"

"Oh honey. I got one song in the backstreet review, but that was only because Heidi Shikain broke her ankle, which had nothing to do with me, not like anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuzz. If I don't get this month's rent, then before you now I'm in Hooverville."

"Okay. I get it."

"It's the depression sweeties. Your heart might break but the show goes on cause if its stop you have…Every night I have to go out there. Sing, Dance, keep going hoping he comes back." Then Tallulah started to cry.

Martha and I hugged her and we both whispered "I'm so sorry"

Because I didn't like to watch people crying I went outside the dressing room to search the Doctor. When I stepped outside I could hear the both talking.

"You understand me. She is lucky. She got's the **fore thinking guy with the chop suit(27:17)."**

"They're not… together"

"So you still have chances?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen how you look at him. It's obvious"

"Not to him. Neither her"

"So the two are not together… oh I should have realize. He is into musical theatre. What a waste. Still got a little hope. It's the only thing that keeps me going. Look… at my dressing table every day still."

"You think it's from Lazlo?"

"I don't know. If he's still around why is he secretly here and don't want to see me?"

After this dialog I went back in the dressing room.

"Everything alright?" I asked.

(^.^)

"Girls it's showtime", Tallulah shouted and went out of the dressing room. I grinned at Martha. While the red dressed women walked on stage, Tallulah turned to us. "C'mon honeys. Take some look. You never be on stage before?"

"NO", Martha said, "You know… Shakespeare". I smiled.

"How dole is that! Now you will see a real show!" She took our hands and pulled us on stage.

We were listening the show 'Heaven and Hell' and it was amazing.

"She is great, isn't she?" I asked Martha.

"Yeah… it's awesome… Wait. Do you see that? What's that?"

"Look a bit like the pigmen", I answered looking at the strange figure.

"I will look after it", she said and ran on the stage.

"What… Martha stop", I said louder.

Martha hid behind the dancers.

"Go back off the stages" Tallulah said to Martha.

"No look at that!" she said and pointed in the direction.

Tallulah screamed and Martha ran in his direction.

I followed her but stopped at an empty room, the sewer lid askew. I heard the Doctor call our names because of our screaming and suddenly he stood in front of me. "Emma… you are alright", then he hugged me. "Where's Martha?"

"She ran after the new pigman. And I followed her… but I wasn't sure to follow her… and I was to slow to follow her. I'm sorry", I said.

The Doctor grabbed his coat and pulled it on, "Oh, where are you goin'?" Tallulah asked.

"They've taken her," the Doctor mumbled as he climbed deftly down into the sewers after their friend. I followed him.

"What're y' doin'? I said, what the hell are ya doin'? Crazies," Tallulah looked over and grabbed a long coat to put over her costume before following them down

"No, no, no, no, no way," the Doctor shook his head at her, "You're not coming."

"Tell me what's going on."

"There's nothing you can do. Go back. Both of you"

"I'll help you finding Martha. She's my friend", I said.

"Look, whoever's taken Martha, they could've taken Lazlo, couldn't they?"

"Tallulah, you're not safe down here," I told her quietly, none of us really were.

"Then that's my problem. Come on. Which way?" she turned and walked down the left tunnel.

The Doctor sighed, pulling out the sonic and scanning quickly, "This way," he turned and walked down the tunnel to the right.

"When you say 'They've taken her,' who's they exactly?" Tallulah asked after we had walked quite a ways in silence, "And who are you anyway? I never asked."

"Shh..." the Doctor stopped suddenly, hearing something in the distance.

"Okay, okay"

"Shh, shh, shh."

We paused a moment before a very distinct, familiar shadow appeared on the wall before us, slowly approaching. This shadow was familiar to me, because it looked like the monsters of my childhood nightmare.

"I mean you're handsome and all..." Tallulah continued.

The Doctor grabbed her, putting a hand over her mouth to quiet her, pulling her back and I followed them as a kind of robot passed by us. And then I realized that it totally looked a like these monsters.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," he shook his head, "They survived. They always survive while I lose everything."

"That metal thing? What was it?" Tallulah asked

"It's called a Dalek. And it's not just metal, it's alive." The Doctor explained.

Tallulah laughed, "You're kidding me."

The Doctor whirled on her, "Does it look like I'm kidding?" she instantly quieted at his glare, "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive," the Doctor added quietly.

"But if it's not a human being, that kinda implies it's from outer space," Tallulah remarked, we just looked at her, "Yet again, that's a 'no' with the kidding. Boy…well, what's it doin' here, in New York?"

The Doctor walked over to Tallulah, taking her arm, and pulling her down the tunnel, looking for a ladder, "Every second you're down here, you're in danger. I'm taking you back right now."

We turned a corner and stopped short, seeing a Pigman before us, though one who seemed far more human than the others, he even had hair, which gave the Doctor pause. Tallulah screamed and the Pigman cowered back, trying to hide himself.

"Where's Martha?" the Doctor asked, approaching him, "What have you done with her? What have you done with Martha?"

"I didn't take her," he replied.

"Let me try", I said to the Doctor. He looked at me angrily. "You're too rude. This man is frightened." I explained.

"Then… now it's your term", the Doctor said looked sceptical at me.

"Hello. My name is Emma. Can you remember your name?"

"Don't look at me," he turned away.

"Don't worry. We don't want to hurt you", I said.

"Do you know where she is?" Tallulah stepped forward.

"Stay back! Don't look at me!"

"What happened to you?" the Doctor asked.

"They made me a monster."

"Who did?" I asked, "The Daleks?"

The Pigman nodded, "The masters."

"Why?" the Doctor eyed him.

"They needed slaves. They needed slaves to steal more people so they created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late."

"Do you know what happened to Martha?"

"They took her. It's my fault. She was following me."

"Were you in the theatre?" Tallulah asked him.

"Yes."

"Why? Why were you there?"

"I never wanted you to see me like this."

"Why me? What do I gotta do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?"

He turned to face her, "Yes."

"Who are you?"

"I was lonely."

"Who are you?"

"I needed to see you."

"Who are you?"

"I'm sorry," he turned away.

"No, wait," she grabbed his arm, "Let me look at you..." she moved him closer to a light, "Lazlo?" she gasped, he nodded, "My Lazlo?" her voice broke as tears filled her eyes, "Oh, what have they done to you?"

"I'm sorry. So sorry."

"Lazlo, can you show us where they are?" the Doctor asked him gently.

"They'll kill you."

"If we don't stop them, they'll kill everyone."

"Then follow me."

Lazlo led us to a small corner where we could hear people shuffling about, but more importantly, we could just make out Martha's voice.

"…got a nasty feeling that we're being kept in the larder," she was saying.

We crept forward and peeped around the corner to see a line of people, Frank and Martha amongst them, being guarded by Pigmen who had started squealing nervously.

"What're they doing?" Frank asked, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"Silence!" Dalek Thay shouted as it glided into the room, "Silence."

Lazlo ducked out of sight but the Doctor and I watched on, our hands automatically finding each other at the sight.

"What the hell is that?" Martha breathed.

"You will form a line. Move."

The Pigmen pushed everyone into a line, "Just do what it says everyone, okay?" Martha called, "Just obey."

"The female is wise. Obey!"

And then it got worse...

Dalek Jast puttered in, "Report."

"These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause. What is the status of the Final Experiment?"

"The Dalekanium is in place. The energy conductor is now complete."

"Then I will extract prisoners for selection," a Pigman brought an older black man forward and Dalek Thay turned, extending its sucker arm towards the man's face, "Intelligence scan. Initiate. Reading brain waves. Low intelligence."

"You calling me stupid?" the man glared.

"This one will become a pig slave."

"No, let go of me!" the man shouted as two Pigmen pulled him away, "I'm not becoming one of them!"

Dalek Jast simply moved on to the next person, "Intelligence scan. Initiate."

"They're divided into two groups," Lazlo explained to us quietly, "High intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well, that's not fair," Tallulah remarked.

"Shh," the Doctor hissed.

"You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

"And the others?" the Doctor glanced back at him.

"They're taken to the laboratory," Lazlo replied.

"But why? What for?" the Doctor wondered.

"I don't know," Lazlo shrugged, "The masters only call it the Final…Experiment."

"Superior intelligence," Jast cried, they looked back to see it finishing a scan of Frank and moving onto Martha, "Intelligence scan. Initiate. Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the Final Experiment."

"You can't just experiment on people!" Martha glared, "It's insane! It's inhuman!"

"We are not human. Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory."

"Look out, they're moving!" the Doctor pulled us back, flattening us against the wall.

Lazlo grabbed Tallulah and pulled her down the tunnel, "Doctor! Emma! Quickly!"

"We're not going," he called back, "I've got an idea. You go."

"Lazlo, c'mon!" Tallulah tugged his arm.

"Can you remember the way?" Lazlo turned to her.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then go. Please."

"But Lazlo, you gotta come with me."

"Where would I go? Tallulah, I'm beggin' you, save yourself. Just run. Just go. Go!"

Tallulah turned and ran off at his pleas as Lazlo rejoined the Doctor and me at the corner. We waited as the Daleks passed by and then the humans, the two of us slipping into line between Martha and Frank while Lazlo acted as a guard.

"Just keep walking," the Doctor called to Martha softly.

"I'm so glad to see you," she breathed.

"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later. You too, Frank, if you want," the Doctor cleared his throat. "Or Emma. She is right in front of Frank."

(^.^)

The line of prisoners was herded into a lab of sorts where there were two more Daleks, Dalek Caan and Sec.

"Report," Dalek Thay wheeled into the room.

"Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution," Dalek Caan replied.

"Scan him. Prepare for birth."

"Evolution?" the Doctor frowned.

"What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?" Martha nodded to the golden colored Dalek Sec.

"Ask them," the Doctor told her.

"What me? Don't be daft."

"They can't notice me Martha right now," the Doctor whispered to her, "Ask them what's going on. Make it sound like an order and they may listen."

Martha eyed him a moment before taking a breath, "Daleks, I demand to be told. What is this Final Experiment? Report!"

"You will bear witness," Thay turned to her.

"To what?"

"This is the dawn of a new age."

"What does that mean?"

"We are the only four Daleks so the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again."

Dalek Sec's shell powered down, the casing opening to reveal a small form curled up within it. The creature stepped out, the clothing unmistakably that of Mr. Diagoras, but the face and hands...Dalek.

My eyes widened in horror at the sight of the Dalek Human hybrid. Its head was like a Dalek, purplish and large, with one eye and one mouth and tentacles hanging around like hair, the hands nearly claw-like and misshapen.

"What is it?" Martha grimaced.

"I am a human Dalek," Sec began, speaking haltingly, getting used to his new voice, "I am your future."

The Doctor could only shake his head in shock, gripping my hand tightly.

**To be continued…**

**Why did Emma dream of the Daleks? Is she hiding something? Keep reading and you'll find out!**

**Goodbye,**

**Your Yukiko!**


	6. Evolution of the Daleks

**Hello Whovians!**

**Enjoy "Evolution of the Daleks"**

"These…humans will become like me," Sec said as he stood before the small group of prisoners, no one without me seemed noticing the Doctor slip behind some machinery, "Prepare them for hybridization."

The Pigmen closed in on Martha, the others and me, grabbing her, "Leave me alone! Don't you dare!"

And then 'Happy Days Are Here Again' began to play. Everyone stopped and looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from.

"What is that sound?" Sec asked.

The Doctor stepped out, a radio in his hands "Well…That would be me," the Doctor set the radio down, "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera."

"Doctor," Sec glared,

"The enemy of the Daleks!" Jast cried.

"Exterminate!" Thay aimed its laser arm at them.

"Wait," Sec gasped.

"Well, then," the Doctor blinked, just a bit surprised, "A new form of Dalek. Fascinating and very clever."

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter."

"How did you end up in 1930?"

"Emergency Temporal Shift."

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, yeah?" he scoffed, looking around, "Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world but instead your skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting. All of which results in you."

"I am Dalek in human form."

"What does it feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it? That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I…feel…humanity."

"Good. That's good."

"I…feel…everything we wanted from mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression, and war. Such…a genius for war."

"No," the Doctor shook his head, "That's not what humanity means."

"I think it does," Sec looked over at her, "At heart, this species is so very…Dalek."

"Alright, so what have you achieved hen?" the Doctor asked, "With this 'Final Experiment,' eh? Nothing! 'Cos I can show you what you're missing with this thing," he walked back, pointing at the radio as he set it down, "Simple little radio."

"What is the purpose of that device?" Caan asked.

"Well, exactly. It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it…" he looked at Martha and me with a smile, "Fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek of course," he told Sec, "Then it's just noise," he turned and flashed the sonic at the radio, creating a horrible, high-pitched wail. Sec held his hands over his ears, in pain, while the other Daleks raced around, erratic.

The Doctor grabbed my hand, "Run!" he shouted to the prisoners, the group running out of the room, we both following.

"Protect the hybrid!" the Daleks were shouting as we fled, "Protect. Protect. Protect!"

Martha led the group through the sewers, the Doctor and I quickly catching up to her, dashing past her as she stopped, confused as to which way to go.

"Come on!" he shouted, "Move, move, move, move, move!" and led them down a tunnel, past a lost Tallulah, "And you, Tallulah! Run!"

"What's happened to Lazlo?" Tallulah cried.

"Everyone!" the Doctor called, the squealing of Pigmen reaching us, when he spotted a ladder, ushering them to climb, "Up!"

(^.^)

Everyone was gathered around Hooverville, sitting around a fire, Martha and Tallulah sitting on crates while the Doctor and me stood before Solomon, trying to explain what had happened.

"These Daleks," Solomon frowned, "They sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they wanna _breed_?"

"They're splicing themselves into human bodies. I never thought of be frighten of them again," I said.

The Doctor looked at me a bit confused. "If I'm right," the Doctor sighed, "They've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. We've got to get everyone out."

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall," Solomon shook his head, "There's nowhere else to go."

"I'm sorry, Solomon. You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state, just get out of New York."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things…"

"There's not a chance," Martha scoffed.

"You ain't seen 'em, boss," Frank agreed.

"Daleks are bad enough at anytime," the Docter explained, "But they're soldiers and, right now, they're vulnerable and that makes them more dangerous than ever."

"They're coming!" a man started shouting in the distance, blowing a whistle, "They're coming!"

"A sentry," Solomon looked up, "Must have seen something."

"They're here! I seen 'em! Monsters! They're monsters!"

"It's started," the Doctor muttered, squeezing my and Martha's hands.

"We're under attack!" Solomon turned to the camp, "Everyone to arms!"

The men ran around, starting to grab what guns and weapons they could.

"I'm ready, boss," Frank grabbed a gun, "But all o' you find a weapon! Use anything!"

"Come back!" Solomon shouted as a few men ran off into the night, trying to get out, "We gotta stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"

The Pigmen ran into Hooverville, attacking the men, forcing them all back.

"We need to get out of the park," Martha looked around for a way out.

"We can't," the Doctor said, more calm than he felt as he surveyed the area, "They're on all sides. They're driving people back towards us. Condensing the target."

The Doctor squeezed my hand again, sensing the edge of her training coming back.

"We're trapped," Tallulah gasped.

"Then we stand together," Solomon replied grimly, "Gather 'round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together," the Pigmen forced them into a tight circle, "They can't take all of us!" and the men opened fire.

"If we can just hold them off till daylight…" Martha breathed.

"Oh, Martha," the Doctor looked up, "They're just the foot soldiers."

Everyone looked up to see Dalek Jast flying above them, "Oh, my God…"

"What in this world…" Solomon frowned.

"It's the devil!" the sentry cried, "A devil in the sky. God save us all. It's damnation."

"Oh yeah?" Frank glared, "We'll see about that!" he fired at the Dalek but the bullets did no damage at all.

"Firing like _that_ is not going to work." I said.

"There's more than one of them," Martha gasped as Caan joined them, the two soaring over the camp, firing at the settlement, causing explosions and fires to erupt.

"The humans will surrender!" Jast called.

"Leave them alone!" the Doctor shouted, "They've done nothing to you!"

"We have located the Doctor!" Caan reported.

Solomon stepped forward and the Doctor grabbed his arm, "No, Solomon. Stay back."

"Doctor, this is my township, you will respect my authority. Just let me try," he pulled his arm away and stepped forward again as the Doctor could only step back, shaking his head, "Daleks…ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" he set his rifle down, "'Cos, see, I've just discovered this past day God's Universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh, yeah. Terrifies me. Right down to the bone. But it's got to give me hope…hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I…I beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well…what do you say?"

"Exterminate!" Caan fired, killing Solomon dead.

"Oh, no!" Frank ran to Solomon's side as the camp screamed, "No! Solomon!"

"They killed him," Martha's eyes widened in fear, "They just shot him on the spot."

"They are really monsters", I said shooked.

"Daleks!" the Doctor stalked forward, his arms out to his side as he confronted them, "Alright, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"

"I will be the destroyer of one of our greatest enemies!" Jast aimed.

"Then do it! Do it! Just do it!" he beat his chest, "Do it!"

Jast readied its laser arm…

"Do it!"

"Exterminate"

"Stop!" the voice of Sec called through Caan's comm. device, "I command you. Stop!"

"I do not understand," Caan remarked, "It is the Doctor!"

"But I… want him alive."

"The urge to kill is too strong."

"I have decided the Doctor must live and you will obey me."

"I…obey."

"What's going on?", the Doctor called up to the Daleks after a few moments of inaction.

"Bring him to me," Sec ordered.

"You will follow," Jast restored.

"No!" Martha shouted, "You can't go!"

"Don't leave us with them alone!" I screamed.

"I've got to go," the Doctor muttered, rubbing the Professor's back, "The Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks _never_ change their minds."

"But what about us?" Martha asked.

He looked back at the people of Hooverville before facing the Daleks, "One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"

"Obey the Doctor," Sec called.

"The humans will be spared," Jast reported, "Follow."

"Then I'm coming with you," Martha stepped up.

"Martha, stay here. Do what you do best. People are hurt. You can help them. Emma should help you. Let me go," Martha looked at him sadly but nodded. He turned to follow after the Daleks when he suddenly turned back, "Oh, and can I just say, thank you very much," he gripped her hand with both of his and winked at me, turning around, walking off, knowing the psychic paper he'd just slipped her would help us with what he needed him to do.

(^.^)

Martha, Tallulah and I were I Solomon's tent. Martha played nervously with the psychic paper. Tallulah and I were looking through the papers.

"Wait a minute. Damin suis. The Daleks mentioned this… energy condacter", Martha said.

"Yeah, you're right", I agreed with her.

"What is that mean?", Tallulah asked.

"I don't know", Martha said and looked at me. "Emma, do you have a clue?"

"Didn't they mentioned this metal… how did they called it"

"Dalekanium!", Martha shouted.

„Yes, it was implaced. But implaced where?"

Tallulah could hardly follow us.

"Frank might know", Martha said and ran out of the tent.

"Do you come with us?", I asked Tallulah. She nooded and went out of the tent with me.

Frank was sitting next to a fire and looked in it sadly.

"Frank? This Mr. Diagora… he was a sort of fixer. He had jobs all over town, right?", Martha asked.

"Yeah. He can find a profit anywhere"

"But where? What kind of things?"

"We're all so desperate. We hoped he'd pick something good. Building working, pays the best…"

"But what sort of building working?",

"May the building there", Frank answered and show to the Empire state building.

(^.^)

Very fast Martha, Tallulah, Frank and I were at the Empire State building. Martha showed the men in the foyer the psychic paper and they allowed us went by lift to the top.

"Who ready to go to the Empire State? I didn't imagine it quiet like this, though.", Martha said.

"Where are we heading anyway.", Frank asked.

"The top, but it's still building"

"Hey, how come these guys let us through? How does that thing work?", Tallulah asked.

"Psychic paper. Shows them whatever I want 'em to think. Couldn't swipe, 'cos they think we're two engineer and an architect.", Martha explained while Frank was checking the paper.

"I don't get it. The paper is blank and it was blank all the time", I said and looked at it.

Martha looked at me assumed and didn't say anything more. After short time we arrived the top floor. Carefully we stepped out of the lift.

"Look at this place. Top of the world", Tallulah said as she looked around.

"Okay, now that looks good", Martha said and went to an architect table. On this table were many different plans of the building. Frank followed her and both analysed the plans.

"Look at this date. This is from today. They must have change something last minute." Frank assumed.

"You mean the Dalek have change something?", Martha asked him.

"No Martha, the Doctor has changed it… Of course the Daleks.", I said in a strict way. I was standing all time right behind the both. She looked at me angrily.

"so look on this sheet. It was made before. So whatever was changed must be on the top sheet, not on this one…" Martha said before I interrupt her.

"Martha. Of course the changes are on the top sheet. It's from today. You know what. Go outside and play with Tallulah. I'll do that…", Frank chuckled, Tallulah and Marta looked at me shocked and I just realized, "Oh my Rowling, I'm like the Doctor."

"Who's Rowling?", Frank asked.

"Frank, that's not important. Come on help me with the blueprints", I said, picked up the sheets and went to another table.

(^.^)

"I'll keep an eye out and make sure it's safe up here", Frank said.

"And did you find it", Martha asked me.

"There is a hell of a storm moving", Tallulah said.

"No, Martha", I said simply and continued to search.

"The Doctor would have found it",

"Do I look like the Doctor. Do you see a suit, or a trenchcoat, brown hair or glasses on me? No. I'm just Emma"

"Yeah, but you act like him"

"Where did you both hook him up?", Tallulah suddenly asked.

"He picked me up at university"

"It was in a hospital"

"Of course. Him being a doctor", said Tallulah.

"Actually I'm a doctor"

"You're a profession? Really?"

"I was training. Or better I am if I get back home"

"You could be doctors together. What a partnership. Such a shame, that there is someone other"

"Could you please be quiet for more than a second? I'm trying to concentrate. If I failed the Doctor could become trouble and… oh yeah, it would be the end of the world", I said angrily. Both looked at me shocked. Then suddenly I found it. "Eureka! I got'ya. There on the mast. You see these lines? They are new. Eureka! And what is it?", I asked the two.

"Dalekanium!", they said at once.

(^.^)

We were standing in front of the lift, as the door opened suddenly. Inside of the lift were the Doctor and Lazlo.

"Doctor! She was rude!", Martha screamed as she saw him.

The Doctor looked confused in our direction, while Tallulah and Lazlo had a little reunion. The Doctor came to us and Martha showed him the plans.

"I found it. Wait out. We know the Dalekanium is on the mast. Good to see you by the way"

"Oh Martha that was brilliant", the Doctor said and hugged her. I looked at them sceptically as Frank cut in.

"Actually it was Emma who found the Dalekanium"

"Oh that was not a big deal", I said and blushed.

"You shouted Eureka twice" Frank said amused.

The Doctor smiled at me and hugged me too. "Well, you are brilliant Emma. Even Shakespeare knew that", he said.

Suddenly the lift doors closed, the Doctor ran to them while shouting, "No-no-no-no-no-no-no" and tried to stop them with his sonic screwdriver. "You see, never waste time with hugs. It's a deadlock seal. I can't stop it."

"Where's it going?", Martha asked.

"Right down to the Daleks. And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?"

"11:15," Frank replied.

"Six minutes to go," he looked around, "We've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."

"Gammon radiation?" Tallulah frowned, "What the heck is that?"

Martha led him over to an open construction area where he got a full view of the city and the height. I followed them.

"Oh, that's high. That's very…blimey, that's high."

"And we've got to go even higher," Martha told him, "That's the mast up there, look. There's three pieces of Dalekanium at the base. We've got to get 'em off."

The Doctor looked at her, "That's not 'we.' That's just me."

"I won't just stand here and watch you…"

"No, you're gonna have your hands full, anyway. I'm sorry, Martha, but you've got to fight," Martha sighed before turning to run back inside. He turned to look at me, "Go help Martha, I'll do this,"

He turned to start climbing the scaffolding while I ran back inside and over to the others standing by the lift. I picked up some piping, seeing the others with their own makeshift weapons in hand.

"The lift's coming up," Martha breathed, watching the counter.

"I shoulda brought that gun," Frank grumbled.

"Tallulah, stay back," Lazlo looked at her, "You too, Martha, Emma. If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."

"The Doctor needs me to fight," Martha shook her head, "I'm not going anywhere!"

"They're savages. I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth."

"Well, how Martha said. The Doctor needs us to fight. We won't go." I said. Suddenly Lazlo collapsed.

"Lazlo?" Tallulah cried, "What is it?"

"No, it's nothing," Lazlo tried to stand, "I'm fine. Just leave me…" he fell back down and leaned against the wall, Tallulah moving to help him rest against a column a little farther back.

"Oh, honey, you're burnin' up," she breathed, putting a hand on his forehead, "What's wrong with you? Tell me."

"One man down and we ain't even started yet," Frank muttered.

"It's not looking good," Martha had to agree.

Martha opened her mouth to argue when a roar of thunder rumbled behind us, she looked back, seeing lightning flash across the sky, "Wait a minute. Lightening!" she dropped her weapon and ran to the other end of the room. Frank and I exchanged a glance, watching her a moment, till we saw her lugging a metal rod in from outside. Our eyes widened, realizing her plan, and moved to help. Frank grabbed some more rods while I arranged some crates and furniture along the floor so the rods wouldn't touch the ground.

"Aw, you'll be alright, sweetheart," Tallulah cooed to Lazlo, "Don't you worry," before looking up at the trio getting to work, "What the hell are you three clowns doin'?"

"Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still gonna get hit," Martha reasoned, "Great big bolt of lightning, electricity all down this building. Connect this to the lift and they get zapped."

"Oh my God, that could work!"

"Then give us a hand!" Frank grumbled as we got the last rod in place.

"Is that gonna work?" Tallulah looked out.

"It's got to," Martha whispered.

"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside," Frank replied.

"Come here, Frank and sit in the middle and don't touch anything metal," Martha called, "Professor over here," she called as they all gathered against the column by Lazlo. They huddled there, watching as the lift rose up to their floor, the doors sliding open just as a bolt of lightning struck the mast and passed along the rods straight to the lift, striking the Pigmen, electrocuting them.

A moment later, it was over.

The group stood up and walked over to the lift, looking down at the Pigmen.

"You did it, Martha," Tallulah breathed.

"They used to be like Lazlo," Martha mumbled, "They were people and I killed 'em."

"No, the Daleks killed them," Lazlo shook his head, "Long ago."

"The Doctor!" I gasped suddenly. We turned and ran outside, Martha and I quickly climbing the scaffolding to find him lying on his back, unconscious, at the base of the mast.

"Doctor!" Martha called as they knelt beside him, "Doctor! Look what we found halfway down."

I held up the sonic, "You're getting careless."

The Doctor groaned, "Oh my head."

"Hiya," Martha breathed, relieved.

"Hi. You survived then?"

"So did you. Just about. I can't help noticing…there's Dalekanium still attached...", I said.

The Doctor sat up with a jolt and looked over to see the metal still there.

(^.^)

We stood, looking out at the city, "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing," the Doctor remarked, "They'll be using the sewers, spreading their soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Lazlo frowned.

"There's only one chance," the Doctor said, "I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though me first."

"But what does that mean?" Martha shook her head.

"We need to draw fire," the Doctor nodded, "Before they can attack New York. We need to face them…" he sighed and walked back into the office, "Think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space, somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!"

"That's me," she waved, "Three Ls and an H."

"The theater! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?"

"Don't see why not."

"Is there another lift?"

"We came up in the service lift," Martha told him.

"That'll do. Allons-y!"

(^.^)

The group arrived in the darkened theater, "This should do it," the Doctor looked around, "Here we go," he pulled out the sonic and switched it on, listening for the right frequency.

"There ain't nothin' more creepy than a theater in the dark," Tallulah murmured when Lazlo fell into one of the chairs beside her, "Lazlo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he took her hand as she sat beside him, "It's just so hot."

"But…it's freezing in here. Doctor, what's happening to him?"

"Not now, Tallulah," the Doctor said soflty, "Sorry."

"What are you doing?" Martha asked, watching him.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll want to find their number one enemies," the Doctor explained, "He's telling them where we are."

He held up his sonic and flicked it on.

(^.^)

"I've telling you to go," the Doctor stood before Martha a short time later, "Frank can take you back to Hooverville."

"And we've told you we won't go," Martha argued.

"Martha, Emma, that's an order."

"Who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?" I asked him.

The doors slammed open, cutting off the Doctor's reply, the Human Daleks walking in, down the aisles with their guns ready.

"Oh, my God!" Tallulah gasped, "Well I guess that's them then, huh?"

"Humans…with Dalek DNA," the Doctor nodded. Frank moved to attack them but the Doctor pulled him back, "It's alright. Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

"But what about the Dalek masters?" Lazlo asked, "Where are they?"

As though hearing his words the stage exploded, forcing us to duck down behind the seats for cover. We peered over them as the smoke cleared to see Daleks Jast and Thay moving forwards with Sec chained between them, crawling.

"The Doctor will stand before the Daleks!" Thay ordered. The Doctor walked forward a few rows to stand before them, "You will die. It is the beginning of a new age."

"Planet Earth will become New Skaro," Jast agreed.

"Oh, and what a world," the Doctor shook his head, "With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"My Daleks…" Sec pleaded, "Just understand this. If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you."

"Incorrect," Thay replied, "We will always survive."

"Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor!" Jast cried.

"But he can help you," Sec told them.

"The Doctor must die."

"No, I beg you, don't."

"Exterminate!" Thay ordered.

Sec jumped up as Thay fired, striking him instead of the Doctor.

"Your own leader," the Doctor shook his head at them, disgusted, "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him," the Doctor looked at the Human Daleks, "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?" he looked back at the Daleks, "If we're gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh? The Human Daleks. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them," he held his arms out.

"Human Daleks, take aim," Jast ordered and the Human Daleks cocked their weapons, aiming.

"What are you waiting for? Give the command!"

"Exterminate!" Thay cried, but nothing happened, "Exterminate!" still nothing.

"Obey," Jast ordered, "Human Daleks will obey."

"Not firing," Martha breathed before looking at the Doctor, "What have you done?"

"You will obey!" Thay shouted, "Exterminate."

"Why?" one of the male Human Daleks asked.

"Daleks do not question orders."

"But why?"

"You will stop this."

"But…why?"

"You must not question."

"But you are not our master. And we…we are not Daleks."

"No, you're not, and you never will be," the Doctor agreed as he turned to the Daleks, "Sorry, I got in the way of the lightening strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom."

"If they will not obey, then they must die," Jast shouted, firing at the man who had questioned them.

"Get down!" I shouted as we all ducked down behind the seats, the two sides firing at each other.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

We watched as the Daleks were destroyed one by one by their own creations. The Human Daleks slowly stopped firing as they all stood up, the Doctor walking over to them, "It's alright. It's alright. It's alright. You did it. You're free."

A moment later, though, all the hybrids grabbed their heads and screamed in pain.

"No!" the Doctor shouted, realizing what was happening. But it was too late. The Human Daleks crumbled to the ground, dead. "They can't!" the Doctor shook his head, "They can't! They can't!"

Martha ran over to them, "What happened? What was that?"

"They killed 'em. Rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide.", the Doctor said.

I said simply, "I always hated these monsters"

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed," the Lazlo realized, looking at the Doctor, "One of the Daleks is still alive."

The Doctor stood up, "Oh, yes. In the whole Universe, just one."

(^.^)

"Doctor!" Martha shouted from behind the room, "He's sick!" he looked back to see Martha and me carrying a struggling Lazlo into the room, Tallulah running after us, laying in on the floor as he panted, trying to breathe, "It's okay. You're alright," he ran over and knelt beside him, "It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it, Doctor?" Tallulah looked up with tears in her eyes, "What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe? What is it?"

"It's time, sweetheart," Lazlo rasped.

"What do you mean 'time?' What are you talking about?"

"None of the slaves…survive for long. Most of them only live a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on 'cos I had you. But now…I'm dyin', Tallulah."

"No you're not. Not now, after all this. Doctor, can't you do somethin'?"

"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H…just you watch me!" he jumped to his feet and took off his coat, "What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one. Lazlo, just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today," the Doctor continued as he ran to the equipment and got it ready, "Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age old enemies. And I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you right now, we are not having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, out of the way," he ran over and put a stethoscope to Lazlo's chest, "The Doctor is in."

(^.^)

The Doctor, Martha, Tallulah, Lazlo and I stood in front of the entrance to Hooverville, Lazlo bundled up in a trench coat and a hat.

"Well," Frank called as he walked over, "I talked to 'em and I told 'em what Solomon would've said and I reckon I shamed one or two of 'em."

"What did they say?" the Doctor asked.

"They said yes," Tallulah laughed and hugged Lazlo, "They'll give you a home, Lazlo. I mean, uh, don't imagine people ain't gonna stare. I can't promise you'll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for, people who ain't got nowhere else."

"Thank you," Lazlo looked at the Doctor, "I…I can't thank you enough."

(^.^)

Back on Liberty Island, we were looking back at the Manhattan skyline, "Do you reckon it's gonna work, those two?" Martha asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor muttered, "Anywhere else in the Universe, I might worry about them, but New York, that's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too."

"I'm not sure if Emma Lazarus would be so happy that you change her words… but they are still wise." I said smiling.

Martha laughed, "The pig and the showgirl."

The Doctor smiled, "The pig and the showgirl."

"The pig and the showgirl."

"Just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone.", Martha said.

"Maybe," the Doctor said and looked to the city before turning..

Martha paused, sighing, "Meant to say…sorry."

"What for?" the Doctor looked at her.

"Just 'cos that Dalek got away. I know what that means to you. Think you'll ever see it again?"

The Doctor nodded, unlocking the TARDIS, "Oh yes… One day," Martha entered and as I wanted to enter the Doctor said, "Wait a moment Emma",

I looked confused at him. "Okay… What's the matter?"

"You mention something last night… about the Daleks. Something like you never thought of being frighten again. What does that means? Who are you?", he asked in a strict way.

I looked at him more confused. "I don't understand…"

"Just tell me the truth"

"Well… I just can tell you this. As I was a child I had nightmares of these monsters. They always shouted 'exterminate, exterminate'. I always was running away from them or my Mum or a stranger were carrying me away and try to keep me calm. Both always said 'Everything is alright Honey, they won't hurt you'. As I get older I didn't have these nightmares so often and now I'm not frighten of them if I dream of them… and to your question, who I am: I am Emma Sophie Smith, Physics, History and English literature student. I'm 22 years old in 2012 and I'm proud of it. I grew up by my Mum and I don't know my dad, just his job… and well I'm an only-child. My favourite colour is blue… You see? I don't have secrets. I'm an open book… Are you satisfied?" I asked.

The Doctor grinned at me and said, "That was a little bit rude… come on we have to bring Martha back home… and then we will visit Archimedes, okay?" I nodded and entered the TARDIS, ready for another adventure with the Doctor and Martha.

**Another chapter is up! YAY!**

**Who is the mysterious man from Emma's dream?**

**Yukiko!**


	7. The Lazarus Experiment

**Hello Whovians!**

**It's time for 'The Lazarus Experiment'**

**I hope you'll enjoy it.**

The Doctor ran around the console, working the controls as Martha and I held onto it for our dear lives, watching him as he landed.

"There we go…perfect landing, which isn't easy in such a tight spot," the Doctor grinned.

"You should be used to tight spots by now. Where are we?", said Martha.

"The end of the line", the Doctor replied as Martha grinned and ran to the door, "No place like it."

She stepped out, only to stop short in disappointment, finding herself in the bedroom of her flat, "Home. You took me home?"

"In fact," the Doctor stepped out, me closing the door behind us, "The morning after we left, so you've only been gone about 12 hours. No time at all, really."

"But all the stuff we've done, Shakespeare, New New York, Old New York…" Martha shook her head as they looked around.

"Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was, books, CDs," he picked up a pair of panties as it dried on a rack, "Laundry…" Martha snagged it off his finger, "So, back were you were, as promised."

"This is it?"

He inhaled deeply, "Yeah, we should probably…um…" he trailed off as Martha's phone began to ring.

"Hi!" the machine picked up, "I'm out! Leave a message!"

"I'm sorry," Martha said.

"Martha, are you there?" her mother's voice came on, "Pick it up, will you?"

"It's mum. It'll wait."

"Alright then, pretend that you're out if you like. I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."

Martha's eyes widened and she turned to the television in the corner of the room, switching it on. An old man was standing before a crowd, giving a press conference, a black woman standing behind him, "The details are top secret…"

"How could Trish end up on the news?" Martha wondered.

"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device…"

"She's got a new job. PR for some research lab."

"…with the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human."

Martha switched it off and turned back to them, "Sorry. You were saying we should…"

"Yes, yes, we should," he nodded, looking at me, "One trip is what I said."

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of…escalated."

"Mmm. Seems to happen to me a lot."

"Thank you. For everything."

„It was my pleasure", the Doctor said.

"It was nice to meet you. Maybe we'll see each other in 5 years. You could visit me in Cambridge.", I smiled.

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do.", Martha replied.

The Doctor and I stepped inside the TARDIS and the Doctor immediately started running around the console, "So, Archimedes is it then."

"Actually, Doctor. I think we should go back to Martha."

"Why?"

"Hello? The guy on telly said that he will change what it means to be human."

"Oh…what would I do without you!", the Doctor said, hugging me, before continuing to run around the console.

"I thought you shouldn't waste time with hugs?", I joked.

"We're in a time machine. We have all the time in the universe."

"You may have all the time in the universe, but not me. I'm not getting younger, you know."

Before he could reply the TARDIS came to a halt and he ran to the door, stuck out his head and said, "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

(^.^)

We were walking down the street that night, Martha dressed in a lovely sleeveless, V-necked, purple dress that went to her knees, her hair down while I wore blue dress that went to my knees as well. I let my red hair fall down in lose curls.

"Oh, black tie," he muttered, "Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"I don't think it's the outfit. I think it's you.", I joked.

"I think it suits you," Martha added, "In a James Bond kind of way."

"James Bond?" he asked a bit derisively before considering it a moment, "Really?"

Martha and I laughed as we approached the impressive entrance to Lazarus Laboratories. The room inside was huge, a reception area where the guests were mingling. Martha and I looked around at the people walking past, all sharply dressed, important looking. And the Doctor…was more interested in the hors d'oeuvres being passed around.

"Oh, look, they've got nibbles!" he snatched a handful off the tray of a passing waiter, "I love nibbles!" he tossed one into his mouth when Trish caught sight of us.

"Hello," she grinned, walking over.

"Trish!" Martha hugged her.

"You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

"Very."

"And two nights out in a row for you, that's dangerously close to a social life."

"If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns."

"You might, actually. Keep an eye out for photographers. And mum, she's coming too, even dragging Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie? That I must see," Trish glanced at the Doctor and me, "This is, uh, the Doctor and Emma"

"Hello," the Doctor shook her hand.

"Are they with you?" Trish asked Martha as I shook her hand as well.

"Yeah," Martha nodded.

"But they're not on the list. How did they get in?"

"Of course we are on the list", I said looking at the Doctor.

"I'm Doctor John Smith, and lovely Emma here is my plus one. So, this Lazarus bloke, he's your boss?" the Doctor steered the conversation away.

"Professor Lazarus, yes," Trish nodded, "I'm part of his executive staff."

"She's in the PR department," Martha rolled her eyes.

"I'm head of the PR department, actually."

"You're joking."

"I put this whole thing together."

"So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?" the Doctor asked, "That looks like it might be a sonic Micro-field manipulator"

Trish eyed him, "He's a science geek. I should've known. Gotta get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later."

"Science geeks?" the Doctor frowned as Trish left, "What does that mean?"

"That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it" I answered.

"Oh, nice" he nodded.

"Martha!" a black woman called.

Martha ran over to her, hugging her tightly, "Mum!"

"Oh," her mother laughed, hugging her back, "Alright, what's the occasion?"

"What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all."

"You saw me last night."

"I know. I just…miss you. You're looking good, Leo."

"Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch 'em a drink, I'll swing for him."

Her mother smiled but then noticed the Doctor standing behind Martha, "You disappeared last night."

"I...just went home," Martha replied.

"On your own?"

"These are friends of mine, the Doctor…," Martha introduced.

"Doctor what?" her mother cut in.

"No, it's just the Doctor. And she's Emma…"

"We've been doing some work together", I said.

"Yeah, alright," the Doctor shook Leo's hand and then Mrs. Jones's.

"Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Jones," I shook her hand as well.

"Heard a lot about you."

"Have you?" Mrs. Jones eyed him, "What have you heard, then?"

"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and…um…no, actually, that's…that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat, you know, been busy."

"Busy? Doing what, exactly?"

"Oh…you know…stuff."

There was a tapping on a glass as the old man from the telly, Professor Lazarus stood in front of the cabinet, before the group, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever," he turned and entered the cabinet, two female technicians starting the machinery from a bank near the side of the room.

There was a high-pitched whir and a bright blue light began to shine around the cabinet as the pillars spun around, creating an energy field. They started to rotate, going faster and faster around the cabinet, when a warning bell went off.

"Something's wrong," the Doctor realized, "It's overloading!" he looked at the technicians who were unable to stop it, the panels exploding. The Doctor ran to them, jumping over a low desk, and aiming the sonic at the controls.

"Somebody stop them!" Lady Thaw, Lazarus's backer, shouted, "Get away from those controls!"

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?", The Doctor pulled out a cable and the machine slowly came to an halt.

Martha ran over to the doors of the cabinet as the Doctor and I ran to join her, "Get it open!" he shouted.

She pulled the door open and we all watched, stunned, as, through the smoke, Lazarus emerged, 40 years younger. The photographers snapped his picture as they looked up at him, amazed.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted, "I am Richard Lazarus. I am 76 years old and I am reborn!"

Applause resounded.

(^.^)

The Doctor stood, studying the outside of the machine while Martha and I watched Lazarus speak to his party goers, taking pictures.

The Doctor stood, studying the outside of the machine while Martha and I watched Lazarus speak to his party goers, taking pictures.

"It can't be the same guy," Martha shook her head, "It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"No, it's not," the Doctor stepped toward us, "I wish it were."

"What just happened, then?"

"He just changed what it means to be human," the Doctor sighed as we walked over to him.

"I'm famished," Lazarus was saying to Thaw as he stuffed a handful of nibbles into his mouth.

"Energy deficit. Always happens with this kind of process," the Doctor remarked.

"You speak as if you see this every day…" Lazarus trailed, eyeing us.

"Doctor," the Doctor introduced, "And, well, no, not every day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation."

"That's not possible," Lazarus shook his head.

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's…that's inspired," the Doctor said.

"You understand the theory, then," he looked at him, impressed.

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables," the Doctor frowned.

"No experiment is entirely without risk."

"That thing nearly exploded," the Doctor argued, "You might as well have stepped into a blender."

"You're not qualified to comment," Thaw glared at them.

"If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded."

"Then I thank you, Doctor." Lazarus smiled, "But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests," Martha countered.

Lazarus laughed, "Look at me! You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially," Thaw assured them with a grin.

"Commercially?" Martha's eyes widened, "You are joking. That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos," Lazarus argued, "Change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving," the Doctor glared at him, "It's about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely."

"Richard, we have things to discuss," Thaw cut in, "Upstairs," she turned and walked off.

"Goodbye, Doctor" he nodded at him as he moved to follow Thaw, "In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were."

He reached out, kissing the back of Martha's hand, before doing the same to me.

"Oh, he's out of his depth," the Doctor shook his head, "No idea of the damage he might have done."

"So what do we do now?" Martha looked at them.

"Now…well, this building must be full of laboratories," the Doctor reasoned, "I say we do our own tests."

"Luckily Martha and I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?" I held up the back of my hand.

"Oh, Emma Smith, you're a star!" the Doctor cheered as we walked off.

(^.^)

Martha, the Doctor, and I sat before a computer looking at the results of the DNA scan we'd run on Lazarus's cells.

"Amazing," the Doctor muttered, "That's Lazarus DNA."

"I can't see anything different."

"Look at it!"

Martha watched as the screen flickered and a minute difference appeared in the DNA strand, "Oh, my God! Did that just change? But it can't have!"

"But it did," I said.

"It's impossible."

"And that's two impossible things we've seen tonight," the Doctor looked over at Martha and me, "Don't you love it when that happens?"

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns.", I asked.

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure. Then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands," the Doctor said. "Basically, he hacked into his own genes. And then instructed them to rejuvenate."

"But they're still mutating now.", Martha said.

"'Cos he missed something," the Doctor pointed at the screen as it flickered again, "Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him."

"Change him into what?"

"Dunno but I think we need to find out," the Doctor remarked.

"That woman said they were going upstairs."

"Let's go!"

And we were off, running to the lift.

(^.^)

As we stepped out of the lift, the Doctor flicked on the light and we looked around the room.

"This is his office, alright", Martha stated.

"So where is he?", the Doctor frowned.

"Dunno. Let's try back at the re…ception…" I trailed off, spotting a pair of skeletal bones in high heels sticking out from behind a desk. I ran over to find the desiccated remains of Lady Thaw, "Is that Lady Thaw?"

"Used to be," the Doctor nodded as he and Martha ran over to kneel beside her, "Now it's just a shell. She's had all the life energy drained out. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"Lazarus," Martha breathed.

"Could be."

"So he's changed already?"

"Not necessarily," the Doctor looked up at her, "You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. And I don't think this was enough."

"So he might do this again?" Martha gaped, horrified.

"Hmm," the Doctor nodded. We stood up and quickly ran back to the lift, heading down to the reception.

(^.^)

We stepped out of the lift and looked around the room for Lazarus, but were unable to spot him.

"I can't see him," Martha huffed.

"He can't be far," the Doctor reasoned, "Keep looking."

We all took off in different directions, the Doctor left, me right, and Martha straight ahead.

"With Trish?" Martha nearly screeched as the Doctor and I made our way back to her, seeing her getting worked up.

"Ah, Doctor, Emma…" Mrs. Jones began, coming over as well.

"Where did they go?" the Doctor asked Leo urgently.

"Upstairs I think, why?" the man frowned.

"Doct…" Mrs. Jones tried again but the Doctor rushed past her, spilling her drink, as I ran after him muttering an apology, "I'm speaking to you!"

Martha turned to follow us, "Not now, mum!"

(^.^)

We ran back into Lazarus's office and looked around frantically for Trish, but she wasn't there.

"Where are they?" Martha spun around.

The Doctor pulled out the sonic, "Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. We might be able to pick it up…" he held it out at arm's length and turned in a circle, the beeping of it starting to increase, "Got him."

"Where?" Martha asked. He could only point the sonic up at the ceiling, "But this is the top floor...the roof!"

We turned and ran for the stairs, dashing up them as fast as they could till they reached the roof. They spotted Trish and Lazarus standing there, looking at each other in the dark, "…thing's ever exactly like you expect," Lazarus was saying, "There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act…'"

"'Falls the shadow,'" the Doctor recited.

Lazarus turned to see the three of us standing there, "So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed."

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Trish hissed.

"Trish, get away from him," Martha motioned her over, her eyes on Lazarus.

"What? Don't tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus," the Doctor commented, "What with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."

"You're right, Doctor," he nodded, "One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"

"Doesn't work like that," the Doctor shook her head, eyeing him sadly, "Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that mattes, it's the person."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be."

"Or what a curse. Look at what you've done to yourself," the Doctor breathed.

"Who are you to judge me?" Lazarus glared.

"Over here, Trish," Martha called.

Trish walked over to her with a huff, "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."

"Trish, he's a monster!" Martha cried, seeing Lazarus collapse to the ground and seize, his body twisting.

"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones..."

There was a growl behind her and Trish slowly looked back to see a skeletal, scorpion-like figure rear up behind her.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted.

We raced back inside as the Doctor shut and locked the door with the sonic, Martha running to the lift and pushing the button for it, "Are you okay?" she asked her sister.

"I was gonna snog him," Trish breathed.

Lazarus banged against the door, triggering sirens to go off, "Security breach. Security breach. Security breach."

"What's happening?" Martha looked around, alarmed.

"Uh, an intrusion," Trish explained, "It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door," the Doctor realized, "The stairs, come on!"

They ran down the stairs just as the door above them crashed open, "He's inside!" Martha shouted.

"Haven't got much time!" the Doctor pushed a door at the bottom of the stairs open, bursting into the reception hall to see people standing around, confused and only mildly alarmed, "Trish!" the Doctor turned to her, "Is there another way out of here?"

"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now."

The Doctor reached into his coat and pulled out the sonic, tossing it to me, "Martha, Emma, setting 54. Hurry."

I nodded and ran off with Martha and her sister.

As we reached the door, I tried to open it as the other guests ran for the same exit.

"Mum, get back!" Leo called when he was hit by a table Lazarus sent flying his way.

"Leo!" his mother shouted.

"Over here!", I stepped back, getting the door open, "This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!"

Lazarus closed in on the woman who had ignored the Doctor as she stood there in shock, "No!" the Doctor yelled, "Get away from her!" the woman screamed as Lazarus sucked her energy from her, her husk falling to the floor, "Lazarus!" he shouted as Lazarus moved towards the Joneses, "Leave them alone!"

Martha ran over to her mother's side, helping her get her brother to his feet, as Lazarus roared.

And suddenly…

A shoe went flying through the air and struck Lazarus in the back of the head. The Doctor looked over, startled, and held back a laugh at the sight of me standing there with one shoe on, but quickly recovered as he noticed Lazarus had turned to me instead.

"Martha," Mrs. Jones gasped as they hefted Leo up.

"C'mon, stay with me," Martha told her brother as they hauled him off.

"What's the point if you can't control it?" the Doctor shouted to Lazarus, pulling the creature's attention away from me and over to him, "The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool, a vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"

He turned and ran out of the room, leading Lazarus away. I was about to run after him when Martha came back and called "Emma!", I turned around and she asked, "Where's the Doctor?", I simply pointed in the direction the Doctor had left and started to run after him. After a while I noticed Martha following me.

(^.^)

The Doctor ran out of a lab moments before it exploded. He raced around a corner, crashing straight into Martha and me, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm returning this!" she breathed.

"How did you…"

"I heard the explosion. Guessed it was you."

"I blasted Lazarus."

"Did you kill him?"

Lazarus came crashing down the hallway, thus answering the question.

"More sort of annoyed him, I'd say," the Doctor remarked, taking Martha's and my hand and dashing down the hall.

(^.^)

"Oh no, we run into circle", Martha said, when we came back to the place where we started.

"And there is Lazarus", I said shocked, as Lazarus run right in the room.

"Come on, go inside there", the Doctor told us.

Martha ran in, followed by me and then the Doctor, smushing in like sardines to shut the door.

"Are we hiding?" Martha breathed as they crammed together.

"No, he knows we're here," the Doctor said, "But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."

"But we're trapped!"

"I prefer inconveniently circumstanced," the Doctor remarked.

"Do either of you have a plan?"

"Yes, the plan was to get inside here!" the Doctor said.

"Then what?"

"Then we wait," the Doctor replied.

"For what?"

"Till Lazarus turns on the machine," the Doctor replied.

"What?"

"Trust me," he mumbled, "It's part of the plan."

Martha frowned, not too comfortable with the sound of this supposed plan, "I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"

While she was asking, the Doctor tried to put his sonic screwdriver out and knelt down. I was not sure what he was doing there.

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin," the Doctor replied.

"Human? How can it be human?"

"Dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA," the Doctor explained, "The energy field in here reactivated them. And now they're becoming dominant."

"So it's a throwback."

The Doctor nodded, "Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It's like Pandora's box."

"Exactly," he said when a blue light started to fill the capsule.

"What's happening?" Martha gasped.

"Sounds like he's switched the machine on," the Doctor remarked.

"But that was part of the plan right?"

"Yes,"

Martha looked towards the edge of the box as we heard the posts start to spin on the outside, "What did you do to the box? What was the plan?"

"I set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

"Will that kill him?"

"When he transforms, he's three times his size," the Doctor told her, "Cellular triplication, so he's spreading himself thin."

Just as the light got unbearably bright, it shot out of the capsule and away from us.

The Doctor shoved open the door and stepped out, Martha and me right behind him.

"I thought we were gonna go through the blender for a moment," Martha breathed but then she caught sight of the young Lazarus lying, in human form, on the ground, naked, unmoving, "Oh God. He seems so…human again. It's kind of pitiful."

"Eliot saw that, too," the Doctor remarked, "'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.'"

(^.^)

Medical services took the body away in a bag while Martha, the Doctor, and I stood, watching from the steps of the labs.

"She's here!" Trish called, running over to hug Martha, "Oh, she's alright."

"Ah, Mrs. Jones, we still haven't finished our chat," the Doctor smiled.

But Mrs. Jones was not smiling, especially when she slapped him across the face.

"Keep away from my daughter!" Mrs. Jones shouted, "The both of you!"

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha gaped.

"All their mothers, every time," the Doctor muttered, putting a hand to his cheek and looking at the me.

"You should be glad you haven't met my mother yet", I answered with a flash of smile.

"They are dangerous!" Mrs. Jones told her daughter, "I've been told things."

"What are you talking about?" Martha shook her head.

"Look around you! Nothing but death and destruction!"

"This isn't their fault. The Doctor saved us!"

"It was Trish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place," Leo reminded their mother, "I'd say technically, it's her fault."

Trish elbowed him in the side.

There was a crash and the Doctor and me took off after it, Martha about to follow when her mother grabbed her, "Leave them!"

Martha pulled her hand away and ran off after them.

"Martha?" Trish called, following.

"Not you, too!" their mother shouted.

"Sorry," Trish shot her an apologetic look before running off to join us, down the street, by the ambulance. The doors to the back were wide open, the medics within now reduced to husks.

"Lazarus, back from the dead," the Doctor sighed, "Should've known, really," he pulled out the sonic and searched for Lazarus like before.

"Since when did the people behave as their namesakes have done? First Solomon, Lazarus now…", I said, shaking my head

"Where's he gone?" Martha asked.

"That way. The church."

"Cathedral," Trish corrected, "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

The Doctor nodded and headed for it, the others following as we walked quickly up the nave, towards the altar where the sonic was leading them.

"Do you think he's in here?" Martha asked quietly.

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" the Doctor asked.

We walked behind the altar, under the bell tower and found Lazarus sitting there, gasping, a red shock blanket wrapped around him, "I came here before," he whispered, "A lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat there, just a child…the sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz," the Doctor stated.

"You've read about it."

"I was there."

"You're too young," he scoffed.

"So are you," he countered.

Lazarus laughed, but soon was gasping in pain, "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again."

The Doctor walked around Lazarus, slowly looking up at the bell tower. I was the first of us, who also looked up, than Martha.

"So defenseless…" Lazarus continued, "I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today," the Doctor looked at him.

"That's what I _did_ today."

"What about the other people who died?"

"They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

"Any of them might have done, too," the Doctor argued, "You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

"No, Doctor," he glared at him, "Avoiding death. That's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I'm doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more…successful…" he groaned again.

"Look at yourself!" the Doctor shouted, "You're mutating! You've no control over it! You call that a success?"

"I call it progress. I'm more now than I was. More than just an ordinary human."

"There's no such thing as an ordinary human," the Doctor said softly and looked at me.

"He's gonna change again at any minute," Martha whispered to them.

"We know," the Doctor replied just as quietly, "If we can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work."

"Up there?"

"You're so sentimental, Doctor," Lazarus smirked, "Maybe you are older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tired of watching everything turn to dust," he squatted down, "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying," he nodded.

"Is it?"

"I will feed soon."

"I'm not gonna let that happen."

"You've not been able to stop me so far."

Martha stepped forward, looked at me and nodded, "Leave him, Lazarus! He's old and bitter. Thought you had a taste for fresher meat."

"Martha, no!" the Doctor shouted.

Lazarus snarled and leapt at her, transforming along the way. Martha took off, Trish and I following her.

"What are you doing?" Martha shouted, glancing back to see us chasing Lazarus chasing her.

"I'm not sure… I think helping"

"Doctor!" Martha shouted down to the Doctor as we ran up a narrow spiral staircase, "The tower!"

"Martha run! He's changing again!"

(^.^)

The Doctor ran to the center of the Cathedral, looking for any hint of where we girls could be.

"Martha?" he shouted, "Emma!"

Martha peered out of one of the archways on an upper level, "Doctor!"

"Take him to the top, the very top of the bell tower, d'you hear me?"

"Martha, Trish run!" my voice called as a crash resounded at the back of the hall.

I grasped their hands and run with them in the direction of the top, while she see Lazarus break through the door at the end of the passage and turned to run, "Up to the top," she breathed.

(^.^)

We three ran into the bell room, a circular walkway above the bell at the top of the tower.

"We are trapped", said Trish in panic.

"Stay calm", I tried to calm her.

"The Doctor told us to go here… we have to trust him", Martha explained to her sister.

"Why should we trust him?"

"Because, he is... something like superman. He always rescue Martha and me", I told Trish while I went with both to the other side of the walkway.

Lazarus burst through the door as we made it to the other side of the walkway, "Ladies" he hissed, blocking the door.

Martha and I went in front of Trish and hid her behind us. "Stay behind us", Martha said.

Lazarus lunged forward and swung his tail down at us…

Suddenly we heard a strange kind of music from the down, while Lazarus still swung his tail at us. Right before Martha he broke the wall. I could see how scared she and Trish were. Trish looked at her sister and Martha looked at her when Lazarus tail hit her and Martha fell down and I could hardly hold her with my arm.

"Doctor… whatever you have planed… Do it now!", I screamed, because Lazarus jumped over the hallway.

The music got louder and louder every second and Trish stared to cover her ears. I tried to pull Martha up and to kick Lazarus away, but my head hurt so much, I thought it will explode right now. But then I saw that Lazarus react to the music, it hurts him too. Than he fell through the wall down all the way to the floor. When the body of Lazarus smacked the floor, the music stopped. Trish helped me to put Martha back to the walkway. Trish put her arms around her sister.

"Emma? Martha?", the Doctor shouted.

"I'm okay!", shouted Martha, "we three are okay"

"Thank you Emma", Martha said and hugged me.

"That what are friends are for", I said with a smile, "But I think it's the Doctor who you should thanking."

"He cut it a bit fine." Martha said.

"He always does," I laughed, "He thinks it's more fun that way"

"Who is he?", Trish asked us. Martha and I looked at us.

"He… he is the Doctor", Martha answered.

(^.^)

We three girls came down stairs, where the Doctor just ran in our direction. Martha and I smiled and she ran into his arms.

"She is in love with him, right?", Trish asked me. I looked at her surprised.

"I think so… no, I know it… but I think, the Doctor doesn't see it."

"Maybe he like somebody else", Trish said.

As I wanted to ask her, what she means, the Doctor stood in front of me and hugged me.

"I didn't know you could play?" Martha laughed as the Doctor pulled away again.

"Oh, well. You know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up."

"Hmm, especially about playing loud." I said.

"Sorry?" he leaned forward, as though he hadn't heard her, earning a laugh from us.

(^.^)

We were standing before the TARDIS in Martha's bedroom later that night, "Something else that just kind of escalated, then," the Doctor sighed.

"I don't need to be an Academic to see a pattern developing," Martha joked, "You should take more care in the future. And the past. And whatever other time period you find yourself in."

"It's good fun, though, isn't it?" the Doctor asked as I started to smile, seeing his intentions.

"Yeah."

"So, what d'you say, one more trip?"

"No. Sorry."

"What do you mean? I thought you liked it."

"I do, but I can't go on like this. One more trip.'"

I nodded, "It's not fair to her Doctor."

"What're you talking about?" he frowned, looking between us, confused.

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore," Martha explained, "Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, well, I'd rather stay here."

"Either she's travelling with us, or you have to search a new Companion", I said in a strict way. I couldn't imagine an adventure without one of them.

"Okay, then," he nodded, "If that's what you want."

"Right," Martha swallowed hard, "But we've already said goodbye once today so it's really best if you just go," she turned and walked away, waiting for the TARDIS to disappear with a wheeze when nothing happened. She turned around, "What is it?"

"What?" he shrugged, "I said okay."

"Sorry?"

"That means, that you came with us Martha", I said hyper.

"Oh, thank you!" Martha ran over and hugged us both, laughing, "Thank you!"

"It's my opinion that you were never really just a passenger," the Doctor said, before opening the door and allowing her in just as her phone rang and the machine picked up…

**Finished yet another chapter! Yay!**

**I hope you liked it and keep reviewing! **

**Yukiko!**


	8. 42

**First thing: Thank you soooooooooo much for all the reviews, favorites and followers! It made my day (or night…) Thank you. I fell honored that you all seem to like Emma. Of course I love her. She's named after my great-grandmother.**

**BTW, I updated so quickly, because I couldn't resist those bambi eyes. (HazelEyedLeah)**

**So, enjoy '42'!**

The TARDIS flew through the Vortex, going forwards in time as the Doctor leaned against the console. Martha and I stood across from him, watching as he soniced her phone, "There we go!" he grinned, "Universal Roaming. Never have to worry about a signal again," he tossed her the phone.

Martha flipped the screen open to see 'Universal Roaming Activated,' "No way! But it's...too mad! You're telling me I can call anyone, anywhere in space and time on my mobile?"

"Long as you know the area code," he nodded. Martha looked stunned. "Frequent Flyer's privilege. Go on," he egged her, "Try it."

"That's unfair. I haven't received this 'Universal Roaming'", I said.

Surprised looked the Doctor at me. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I haven't chatted with my Mum since… since you pick me up at Cambridge. I had no idea that something like this could be possible", I said pouting.

"I'm so sorry Emma. You'll get also your…", the Doctor started, when suddenly the TARDIS jolted, throwing all of us to the floor.

"Distress signal!" the Doctor called, seeing the screen flashing as the Doctor got to work, "Locking on!" The Doctor hit a switch, "Might be a bit of..." there was another jolt, sending us flying again, "…turbulence. Sorry!" he ran to the door as I helped Martha up before following him, "Come on girls! Let's take a look!"

We stepped out to find ourselves in what looked like an engine room, glowing red from the immense heat.

"Whoa!" the Doctor flinched at the heat as he stepped out, "Now that is hot!"

"Whoa!" Martha agreed, tossing her jacket back into the TARDIS, "It's like a sauna in here!"

"Venting systems," the Doctor commented as he eyed the equipment, "Working at full pelt. Trying to cool down… Well!" the Doctor grinned and headed towards a heavy duty door, "If you can't stand the heat…" he opened it and walked through, into an area, a sign of 'Area 30' above their door, "Well, that's better…"

He held the door open as Martha and I stepped through.

"Oi!" someone called. We turned to see three people running down the corridor, two men, one young, one older, and a middle aged woman, "You three!"

"Get out of there!" the woman shouted.

"Seal that door!" the young man, the one who had shouted before, pointed at the door behind us, "Now!" he ran past the Doctor with the other man, quickly sealing the door.

"Who are you?" the woman demanded, "What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" the young man asked.

"Why would we be police?" the Doctor frowned.

"We got your distress signal," Martha added.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" I scrunched up my face, trying to listen.

"It went dead four minutes ago," the woman, the captain, replied.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering," the older man remarked, "Captain."

"Secure closure active," a computer announced.

"What?" the captain spun around at a loud clanging noise.

"The ship's gone mad," the older man breathed. They watched as a young woman ran down the corridor towards them, the doors sealing behind her.

"Who activated secure closure?" the woman gasped, "I nearly got locked in to area 27…" she paused, looking at the three new people, "Who are you?"

"He's the Doctor, she's Emma, and I'm Martha," Martha said distractedly as she walked past them, "Hello."

"Impact projection: 42 minutes."

Martha went to a window and looked out, while the announcement.

"We'll get out of this," the captain swore, "I promise."

"Doctor…" Martha breathed, frightened, "Emma…"

I walked over to Martha as the Doctor looked at the captain, "42 minutes 'til what?"

"Doctor!" Martha called, her eyes wide, "Don't talk!"

"You need to see this." I called also.

He dashed over and looked out the window with us to see a burning, yellow sun far too close to the ship for comfort.

"42 minutes until we crash into the sun," the captain told them.

(^.^)

The Doctor spun around and ran back to the captain, "How many crew members on board?"

"Seven, including us."

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," the older man added, "Everything's automated. We just keep the ship…"

"Call the others, I'll get you out!" the Doctor ran back to the door we'd just come out of, opening it while the crew rushed to stop him.

"What's he doing?" the young man shouted.

"No!" the captain called, "Don't!"

The Doctor pulled the door open, only to get blasted back from the heat. Martha and I quickly ran to him, helping him up as the crew shut the door.

"But our ship's in there!" the Doctor's eyes widened as he watched them seal the door again.

"In the vent chamber?" the young man frowned.

"No at the sun. Of course in the vent chamber!", I said angrily. I felt two hands on my shoulders and knew that one belong Martha, the other belong to the Doctor. "Sorry", I said after a few seconds.

"It's our lifeboat!"

"It's lava," the older man replied.

"The temperature's going mad in there!" the young woman read off the gauges, "Up 3,000 degrees in ten seconds and still rising."

"Channeling the air," the young man sighed, "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get."

"We're stuck here," Martha breathed.

"So?" the Doctor looked around, "We fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun! Simple! Engineering down here, is it?" he turned to run down an open corridor.

"Impact in 40:26."

(^.^)

The Doctor stopped suddenly after rushing down a set of stairs to stare at the room before him, "Blimey! Do you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh my God!" the captain gasped, seeing the state of the engine room.

"What the hell happened?" the older man gaped.

All around them were wires, springs, glass shattered, everything just completely wrecked and steaming.

"Oh, it's wrecked," the young man breathed.

"Efficiently too," I remarked, looking at the state of the engine, I could already see the key wires cut, the much needed screws and plugs removed, "Someone knew what they were doing," I looked up at the Doctor meaningfully as he wandered over to a computer terminal attached to the engine.

"Where's Korwin?" the captain looked around, "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," the older man replied.

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha looked at me, concerned.

"Korwin?" the captain called into an intercom on the wall, "Ashton? Where are you?" there was no reply, "Korwin, can you answer?" still nothing, "Where the hell is he? He should be up here!"

The Doctor looked at the screen with his specs on as the crew ran around, trying to find their missing members, Martha and I stood behind the Doctor "Oh!" he grinned, "We're in the Torajji system! Lovely!" he looked up at Martha and me, "You're a long way from home, Martha and Emma. Half a Universe away."

"Yeah," Martha murmured, "Feels it."

"You're still using energy scoops for fusion?" the Doctor looked at the captain, "I could have sworn they'd been outlawed by now."

"We're due to upgrade next docking," the captain replied dismissively, though the Doctor missed the guilty looks the crew exchanged, "Scannell, engine report."

The older man, Scannell, walked to the terminal the Doctor had been using and scanned the engine, waiting till the machine beeped, "No response," he turned to the engine.

"What?"

"They're burnt out," the Docor commented as Scannell examined a burned wire sticking out of the top, "And your controls are wrecked. I don't think you'll be able to get them back online. Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries!"

"We don't have access from here," the captain sighed, "The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"Yeah, with 29 password sealed doors between us and them," Scannell added, "You'll never get there in time."

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha frowned.

"No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all dead-lock sealed."

"What's about your sonic screwdriver. Would it work?" I asked the Doctor, but he just shook his head.

"Oh, listen to you!" the Doctor looked at them, "Defeated before you've even started! Where's your Dunkirk spirit?" he looked at the captain, "Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated," the young man from before stepped forward, "Reckon I know most of 'em. Sorry. Riley Vashti."

"Then what're you waiting for Riley Vashti, get on it," the Doctor stepped up, taking command.

"Well, it's a two person job," he turned and picked up a huge magnetic clamp and backpack off a rack, "One, it takes to answer the questions, and the other to carry this," he put the kit on his back, "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh captain?"

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh Riley?" the captain smirked.

"Try and be helpful, get abuse. Nice!"

"I'll help you," Martha took the clamp, "Make myself useful."

"It's remotely controlled by computer panel. That's why it needs two."

Martha nodded and followed him out of the room.

"Oi!" the Doctor called, Martha turned around, "Be careful."

Martha smiled at us, "You too," before continuing on after Riley.

"McDonnell?" a male voice called over the comm., "It's Ashton."

The captain ran back to the intercom, "Where are you? Is Korwin with you?"

"Get up to the med-center NOW!"

The captain bolted out of the room, the Doctor and I following her as she ran past Martha and Riley.

"Impact in 34:31."

(^.^)

"Argh!" a man cried out, "Stop it!"

"Korwin!" a woman struggled, "It's Abi! Open your eyes, I need to take a look at you!"

The group burst into the med-center to see the man who had shouted lying on an advanced MRI machine, another man trying to hold him down, while a young woman held a scanner, trying to help.

"Korwin!" the captain ran to the bed, "What's happened? Is he OK?"

The Doctor and I stopped at the foot of the bed as the man thrashed, "Oh God! Help me! It's burning me!"

"How long's he been like this?" the Doctor asked.

"Ashton just brought him in," the woman replied.

"What's wrong with him?", I whispered to the Doctor.

"I don't know. Haven't seen something like this so far" the Doctor said, pull his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and started to scan the man.

"What are you doing?" the captain asked, panicked, as the man gave another shout of pain, making her take a step towards him.

"Don't get too close…" the Doctor warned.

"Don't be so stupid, that's my husband!" she pushed to the head of the bed.

"And he's just sabotaged our ship!" Ashton replied.

"What?"

"He went mad. He set the ship to secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls."

"No way! He wouldn't do that!"

"I saw it happen, Captain."

The Doctor pulled the sonic back, leaning over to try and talk to Korwin, "Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

"I can't!" he groaned.

"Yeah, course you can. Go on."

"Don't make me look at you! Please!"

The Doctor looked back and I handed him a dart gun off a tray, "Alright, alright, alright. Just relax," he held it up to the woman, Abi, "Sedative?"

"Yes," she nodded.

He pressed the gun to Korwin's neck and shot him with the tranq. The man gave one final groan before he fell silent and still.

The Doctor turned to lean on the bed, crossing his arms, giving them his results, "Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings…" he pointed to the machine behind him, "Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber." He looking at Abi, "Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature," Abi looked at him a moment before turning to do as instructed, "And run a bio-scan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," she remarked.

"Oh, you're good," the Doctor grinned, looking at the two women before turning to face the two crew members, "Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

"Not so far."

"Well, that's something."

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" the captain demanded.

"Some sort of infection. We'll know more after the test results. Now, Allons-y, back downstairs. See about those engines. Go," Aston moved to leave but the captain remained, "Ay! Go!" she reluctantly left as well. The Doctor turned to Abi, "Call us if there's news!" he took my hand and ran out of the center, "Any questions?"

"Yeah," she scoffed, "Who are you?"

He poked his head back in through the plastic curtains of the door, "I'm the Doctor and she's Emma!"

And with that, we turned and ran back, following the captain and Ashton to the engine room.

(^.^)

"Heat shields failing. At 25 percent. Impact in 32:50."

I looked up at the announcement as the Doctor headed over to the intercom, "Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio-scan?"

"He's under heavy sedation," Abi replied, "I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know."

He nodded and stepped back as I came over to call Martha, "Martha? Riley? How're you doing?"

"Area 29, at the door to 28!" Martha called back.

The Doctor put on his glasses and stared at the readout above the comm., "You've gotta move faster!"

"We're doing our best!"

"Find the next number in the sequence: 3-1-3, 3-3-1, 3-6-7…what?" Riley asked, his voice slightly distant.

"You said the crew knew all the answers!" Martha shouted, sounding a bit scared.

"The crew's changed since we set the questions."

"You're joking…"

"3-7-9!" I said and the Doctor looked at me surprised.

"What?" Martha shouted, utterly confused.

"It's a sequence of happy primes," the Doctor said, "3-7-9."

"Happy what?"

"Just enter it!" the Doctor replied.

"Are you sure?" Riley breathed, "We only get one chance!"

"Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't…"

"Isn't." I said.

"A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime."

"And you know Martha… I'm Emmapedia", I said.

"Now type it in!" we both shouted.

There was silence…

"Do they do that often?" Riley seemed to be asking Martha.

"Sometimes," Martha sighed.

"Oi!" the Doctor called, "Get to it!" he rolled his eyes and looked at me, "Talk about dumbing down!"

There was the sound of a clamp disengaging and Martha was back, "We're through!"

"Keep moving. Fast as you can."

"And, Martha, be careful," the Doctor added quietly, taking off his specs, "There may be something else on board this ship."

"Any time you wanna unnerve me, feel free!" Martha groaned.

"Will do, thanks," he switched off the comm. and turned to get back to work.

"Impact in 30:50."

(^.^)

The Doctor was examining a piece of broken equipment, the crew watching him.

"We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time," the Doctor murmured quietly. I nodded, he was rubbing his head as he tried to come up with an idea, "Come on! Think! Resources, what have we got?"

"Doctor?" Martha called over the comm., "Emma?"

"What is it now?"

"Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles. That's pre-download."

"Elvis. No! The Beatles! No! Wait! Um…um…" he grimaced, slapping the back of his head as though that would help, "Argh! What was that remix? Um…I don't know! Emma!" he looked at her, "Which is it?"

"How should I know?" I shook my head.

"You're Emmapedia!"

"Oh yes", I rolled my eyes, "But I didn't read something about the Beatles…",

"EMMA, make a guess", I heard Martha.

"If you ask me… I would say Elvis. But I'm a huge elvis fan… ask somebody else…", I said and knew, that I was very rude.

"Martha we don't know!" he snapped back at the comm., "We're a bit busy!"

"Fine," Martha groaned, "I'll ask someone else!"

The comm. clicked off.

"Now, where were we?" the Doctor muttered, "Here comes the sun? No, resources. So, the power's still working, the generator's going. If we can harness that…ah!"

"Use the generator to jumpstart the ship!" I realized.

"Exactly! At the very least, it'll buy us some more time."

"That…is brilliant…" the captain blinked, shocked.

"I know! See! Tiny glimmer of hope!"

The crew started to smile, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

"If it works," Scannell had to add.

"Oh, believe me," the captain looked at him, "You're gonna make it work."

Scannell walked off dejectedly, as Ashton, the Doctor and I looked at her in respect.

"That told him!" the Doctor grinned.

"Impact in 29:46."

(^.^)

"Impact in 28:50."

"Doctor," Abi called over the comm. as they worked on the engines, "These readings are starting to scare me."

"What d'you mean?" the Doctor looked up.

"Well…Korwin's body's changing! His whole biological makeup, it…it's impossible," there was a bang over the comm. and a moment later Abi was back, panicked, "This is med-center. Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!"

The Doctor and I looked at each other, alarmed, before jumping up and running out.

"Stay here!" the Doctor called, "Keep working!"

The captain, though, stopped her work and ran after us, catching up to us in the hallway.

"Urgent assistance!" Abi continued to call throughout the comms. on the ship.

"Abi," the other young woman replied, "They're on their way."

"What's happening to you?" Abi gasped, speaking to someone we could only guess was Korwin.

"Burn with me," Korwin rasped, his voice deep and threatening, clearly not his own, "Burn with me."

"Captain?" Scannell called and we stopped running.

"We told you to stay in engineering!" the Doctor shouted.

"I only take orders from one person round here."

"Oh, is he always this cheery?"

"Burn with me," Korwin's voice came over the comm. again, sparking everyone into action again as they ran towards the med-center.

"K-Korwin, you're sick…" Abi stuttered, frightened.

"Burn. With. Me!"

Suddenly Abi screamed.

"Doctor," Martha called, alarmed, "What were those screams?"

"Concentrate on those doors!" the Doctor yelled back as we ran, "You've gotta keep moving forward!"

"Impact in 27:06."

(^.^)

The group ran into the med-center, past the plastic sheeting, only to find it empty. Korwin's bed on the stasis chamber bare, Abi nowhere to be seen.

"Korwin's gone…" the captain breathed.

Scannell turned around to look back at her, stopping in his tracks, his eyes wide in fear, "Oh my God…" they all looked in the same direction to see a charred, black, human shaped mark burned on the wall, one arm raised in the air, "Tell me that's not Lerner…"

The Doctor reached out and ran a finger along it, "Ashes from endothermic vaporization. I've never seen one this ferocious." The Doctor frowned, looking distant, "Burn with me…"

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell remarked.

"What?" the captain gasped, "D'you think…no way! Scannell, tell him! Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporize people! He's human!"

I noticed something on the floor and picked it up, I looked at it and realized, that this must be the results, Abi was talking about. "Doctor. His Bio-scans", I said and reached it to him.

Her eyes widened, "Internal temperature, 100 degrees!"

"Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen," he nodded before looking at the captain, "Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed!"

"The test results are wrong!" she snapped, tearing the results from his hand.

"But what is it though?" the Doctor looked at me but wasn't waiting for an answer.

"Parasite?" I supplied.

"Mutagenic virus?"

"Something that needs a host body."

"But how did it get inside him?"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" the captain shrieked, somewhat hysterical.

The Doctor turned to her, "Where's the ship been? Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?"

"What is this? An interrogation?"

"We've got to stop him before he kills again," the Doctor told her gently.

"We're just…a cargo ship…" she turned away from us, distraught.

"If you give her a minute…" Scannell told us as we watched her.

The captain took a few deep breaths, "I'm fine. I need to warn the crew," she turned and walked over to the intercom as the Doctor and I looked back at the results, "Everybody listen to me! Something has infected Korwin. We think…" she swallowed hard, "He killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

"Understood Captain," Ashton replied after a moment.

"Impact in 24:51."

(^.^)

The group stood around the med-center, the Doctor and me pouring over the bio-scan results while the captain sat down, Scannell close by.

"Is the infection permanent?" she asked us quietly, "Can you cure him?"

"Dunno," the Doctor replied.

"Don't lie to me, Doctor. Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest. So I don't want false hope."

The Doctor turned to the captain, "The parasite's too aggressive. Your husband's gone. There's no way back. Sorry."

She nodded, "Thank you."

"Are you…certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret, 'cos it's vital that you tell us."

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

"Then why is this thing so interested in you?" I wondered.

She shook her head, "I wish I knew…"

"Emma, Doctor, we're through to Area 17," Martha called over the comm..

"Keep going," the Doctor told her, "You've got to get to Area 1 and reboot those engines."

"Heat shield failing. At 20 percent."

(^.^)

The Doctor and I stood at the side of the med-center, the captain and Scannell having gone back to the engine room, quietly going over any possible parasitic alien or subspecies that could have affected the crew with results like the ones Abi had found.

"Airlock sealed. Jettison escape pod."

We looked up, startled by that computerized announcement when…

"Doctor!" Martha screamed over the comm., "Emma! Help!"

"Pod jettison initiated."

Our eyes widened and we ran out of the room.

"We're stuck in an escape pod off the Area 17 airlock," Martha shouted, directing us as we ran, "One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!"

We skid to a stop by the engine room to see the captain and Scannell working, "Why is this happening?" the captain asked us.

"Stay here!" the Doctor shouted at them, "We mean it this time!" and we turned to run off, "Jump start those engines!"

We ran quickly down the hall when the computer announced, "Jettison held."

But that didn't stop them, because whatever was in the ship wanted them all gone and it would only be a matter of time before…

"Jettison reactivated."

We ran around a corner and through Area 20.

"Jettison pod stabilized."

We ran through the door into Area 17, "That's enough!" the Doctor shouted, seeing someone standing at the keypad outside the escape pod, wearing a welding mask, "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell us!"

Instead of answer, the man just put his fist through the keypad, disabling the controls.

"Jettison activated."

"No!" I shouted as sirens went off following the activation.

"Come on," the Doctor glared at the man, "Let's see you," he advanced on the two of them, "We wanna know what you really are…"

The man lifted his hand to his visor when he suddenly doubled over and backed away from them. We watched for only a few moments before the man stood and walked towards us again...

"Airlock sealed."

…only to walk right past us and out of the area.

The Doctor wasted no time in getting to work. He ran to the controls, trying to see if there was something he could salvage of the wreck, while I ran to the next com.

"McDonnell!" I shouted, "Ashton's heading in your direction! He's been infected, just like Korwin!"

"Korwin's dead, Doctor," the Scannell replied.

"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod."

"No!" the Doctor shouted, but there was nothing they could do from there, the wires were torn to hell. Given a few hours he could fix it, but not in the next few seconds.

The Doctor ran over to the airlock door, looking through the small porthole with the me, watching as Martha, just a few feet away, tapped on the glass of the pod, calling for us silently.

"Doctor!" we could see her call, "Emma!"

"We'll save you!" the Doctor promised.

"Doctor! Emma!"

"He'll save you Martha," I said quietly, knowing Martha couldn't hear us either.

The pod drifted out, towards the star, Martha getting small and smaller.

"Impact in 17:05."

I looked at the Doctor with tears in the eyes. "You need to save her. You NEED. Please… she is my friend. Our friend…", I said and started crying. I felt that the Doctor was hugging me for a second, than he raced back to the comm., "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in Area 17, now!"

"What for?" the man asked.

"Just get down here!"

(^.^)

The Doctor stood in Area 17, dressed in an orange spacesuit.

"I can't let you do this," Scannell told him.

"You're wasting your breath, Scannell," I told him, "Once his mind is on something…he never changes it for anything."

"Well…" he tried to grin a bit, "One thing…" he gave me a pointed look.

"You wanna open an airlock, in flight, on a ship spinning into the sun," Scannell looked between the two of us as though we were mad, "No one can survive that!"

"Oh, just you watch!"

"You open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you."

"If he can breach the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should re-magnetize the pod," I explained the plan the Doctor had already come up with, "But…while he's out there, you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We _need_ those auxiliary engines."

Scannell shook his head and turned to the Doctor, "Doctor, will you listen! They're too far away, it's too late!"

"We're not gonna lose her," the Doctor insisted, looked at me and smiled.

The Doctor put his helmet on, securing him, before he walked past Scannell to the airlock door. It slid open and he stepped inside, looking back at me for a moment, taking my hand and squeezing it once more before the doors began to close.

"Decompression, initiating. Impact in 12:55."

(^.^)

"Impact in 11:15. Heat shield failing. At 10 percent."

The Doctor walked towards the exterior door and pressed a button on the keypad, opening them. He recoiled slightly from the heat and brightness before grabbing onto the frame, battling the vacuum of space to hold onto the edge of the ship. He clambered out, nearly getting swept away a few times, but managing to hang on. He swung his hand out, trying to reach a column of buttons just to the right. He hissed but stretched.

"Come on!" he groaned through gritted teeth before managing to push the buttons, "Go on my son!"

He repositioned himself, trying to reach a box to the right of the buttons.

He steeled himself and stretched, knocking the cover off the box. With a scream of pain and strength, he swung out and grabbed the lever, pulling with all his might till it moved down. He struggled to head back to the airlock, his strength spent. He dropped to his knees in the chamber and looked out over the bottom lip to see the sun. He stared at it, confused, frightened, as the light reflected off his helmet.

"It's alive…" he whispered, "It's alive?" before realizing, "It's alive!"

(^.^)

"It's alive?" I breathed confused and ran out to the Doctor. I know that was stupid, but I was worried about my friends.

"Doctor!" I shouted, "You need to get out of there now!"

"Impact in 8:57."

The airlock sealed closed and filled with air once more as the Doctor pulled off his helmet, seeming to be in an enormous amount of pain.

"Airlock recompression completed."

He fell out of the airlock and into the corridor, straight into my arms, gripping me tightly as he struggled against the pain. Martha and Riley clambered out of the escape pod and ran into the hall.

"Doctor!" Martha gasped, rushing over to them, "Doctor!" she dropped to her knees, "Emma, what's wrong with him?"

"I'm… I'M… I'm not sure", I said when suddenly everything got black.

(^.^)

I woke up in the Med-center, where Martha looked at me angrily. I wanted to stand up, but I was dizzy, that I fell back. "Are we dead?", I asked Martha.

"Why didn't tell you? Why did you do something so stupid? You could have died!"; she shouted at me.

I looked at her a bit confused. "What didn't I tell you? And I know it was stupid, but I was worried about you. I don't have many friends… so you are something like my best friend.", I explain to her.

She looked at me surprised and smiled. "You are also something like my best friend so far, Emma", she said.

I smiled at her and asked her. "So, what didn't I tell you?"

She started to heard off me with a stethoscope.

"It's nothing… I just was scared about you, Emma", she said, but I had the feeling, that there was more, but I didn't have a clue what.

"So… where's the Doctor?", I asked instead.

"He is talking to the crew… wait a minute", she said, went to the com. "Doctor. Sleeping Beauty is awake."

"Well… than bring her to the TARDIS. I have to talk to her", he said in a strict way.

"Daddy is angry with me", I said laughing.

"Oh yes", she said with a big smile and went slowly with me to the TARDIS, where the Doctor was standing right in front of it.

"Martha go inside. I want to talk to Emma in private", he said angry.

Martha nodded and went inside.

"Before you say anything. I know it was stupid and dangerous. How could I be so stupid to go out in the space? There is no air. You have not to be a genius to know it's dangerous and crazy to go out. I know that. And I'm really sorry. Not because I can't help you to save all these lives, but because I scared you and Martha. I'm really sorry", I said very quickly.

"well… than everything is clear. You'll never do something like that again, right", he asked and I nodded. "Well… than give me your mobile phone… I promised you Universal Roaming", he said.

Martha came out and smiled as she saw, how the Doctor worked on my phone. "So!" she called, getting our attention, "Didn't really need you in the end, did we?" she frowned at how that sounded, "Sorry. How're you doing? The both of you?"

"Now!" the Doctor smiled, not wanting to answer. "What do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Koorharn? Fancy it?"

Martha looked down, disappointed he wouldn't talk to her, "Whatever you like."

I nudged the Doctor and he turned to Martha, "By the way, you'll be needing this. Both of you," he held out two TARDIS key on a long chain.

"Really?" we asked, both of us grinning now.

"Frequent Flyer's Privilege," he nodded. He slowly lowered the key into our hands, "And…thank you."

"Don't mention it," she waved him off.

She smiled, before pulling away sharply, "Oh no! Mum!"

The Doctor laughed as Martha and I walked off to call our mothers. The Doctor grinned and was looking forward to a new adventure with Martha and me.

**FINITO!**

**So, I have a little announcement for the Mrs. Smith-fans: The next two chapters will be legen – wait for it – dary!**

**So, I wonder why Martha was so angry? Haha, JK, I know it! Mwuhaha, I'm evil!**

**Keep on reading and you'll find out!**

**Yukiko**


	9. Human Nature

**Hello there!**

**The next chapter is up, so enjoy 'Human Nature'! **

I was sitting in the TARDIS and waited for… I wasn't sure for what. I remembered very well what happened in the last few weeks.

/FLASHBACK/

_The console of the TARDIS sparked as Martha ran in, me dashing after her, followed by the Doctor. We threw ourselves to the floor, narrowly avoiding a green beam before picking ourselves up. The Doctor shoved the door shut and ran to my side, helping me up as we ran to Martha, pulling her up to make sure she was alright._

"_Did they see you?" the Doctor asked us urgently._

"_I don't know!" Martha shouted._

"_Did they see you?"_

"_I don't know. I was too busy running!"_

"_Martha, it's important, did they see your face?" he shook her._

"_No," she said after a moment, "They couldn't have!"_

"_What's with you, did they see your face?" he asked me._

"_I ran all the time. I don't think they saw me." I answered._

_He went to the console and looked very worried.__ "__Off we go!" the Doctor shouted as Martha and I joined him. Suddenly something beeped in warning, symbols in Gallifreyan scrolled across the monitor._

"_No!" the Doctor's eyes widened, reading them, "They're following us!"_

"_How can they do that, you've got a time machine!" Martha shook her head._

"_Stolen technology," the Doctor guessed, "They've got a Time Agent's Vortex Manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the Universe…" he paused, looking at me, "They're never going to stop."_

_He ran a hand through his hair nervously when an idea came to him, "Unless... I'll have to do it..." he looked us desperately in the eyes.__ "__I'll have to use the Chameleon Arch," he added._

_The Doctor shut his eyes tightly for a moment._

_He just spun to face us, "Martha, Emma, you trust me don't you?"_

"_Of course we do."_

"'_Cos it all depends on you," he dove below the console and pulled something out._

"_What does, what are we supposed to do?" Martha shook her head, confused._

_He stood up, holding an ornate pocket watch, "Take this watch, 'cos my life depends on it. The watch, Martha…the watch is…"_

/FLASHBACK OVER/

Suddenly the door was opened by Martha. She was wearing a period maid's uniform and looked kinda pissed off. "What are you doing here? He said you would hardly come over here", I said.

"Well… that was before Mister John Smith meant: I haven't seen my wife for a long time", she said.

"His what?" I asked skeptically.

"His wife. How did he say…? His lovely wife Emma… Emma Smith", she said and could hardly stop laughing.

"Emma Smith… but… I'm Emma Smith!" I shouted surprised.

"Well, I guess he thinks that you, Emma Smith, are his wife", she explained to me.

"But… he said… he said I should stay in the TARDIS…" I said.

"Emma come on", Martha said and started to pull me in the wardrobe, "He wants now a wife. And in this time, I can't be his wife. And it seems like he would remember to his… Scottish Rose."

"He didn't say Scottish Rose", I said standing in the middle of this giant wardrobe in which Martha was looking for a dress for me.

"He did… I hardly believed it as he mentioned it to me" she said. She gave me three different dresses which I had to put on.

"Martha, wouldn't it be better if I wrote firstly a letter to him? Like: Hey honey, I'm visiting you soon?" I asked her, showing her the first dress.

"No… that doesn't fits you. By the way, how do you want to send him a letter? For a letter you need a post office", Martha said, while I tried the next dress.

I came out with the next one – even uglier than the first one – and said, "I could send a carrier pigeon. The whole world is preparing for a war… so that would be a great idea",

"NEXT! Well, and where do you want to get such a pigeon?" she asked.

I went changing and I found one dress that fits me and I like also. "Martha… who do you think has to bring the bird to me? I can't leave the TARDIS, just because the Doctor, or John Smith told me to", I said and she looked amazed at me.

"That dress… it seems like it was made for you! Okay… I'll try to find such a bird… but…"

"No… hurry up", I said and went around in the TARDIS to find something to write. Then I wrote the best I could imagine a wife could write to her husband.

"Dearest John,

We have not seen each other for such a long time and my mother told me to visit my beloved husband, while she will look after our children. I will be in November 11th, 1913. I am looking forward to see you again, my beloved John.

Sincerely yours,

Emma Sophie"

"Well… I think that's enough", I assumed and also Martha was back, to see me sit in a mountain of my first tries to write that stupid letter.

"I got a pigeon…"

"Brilliant… so you'll give this inside this little box and you 'found' this pigeon and saw his name on it, okay?"

"And when will you come?"

"Tomorrow…"

"Why not today… I think he is falling in love"

"The Doctor? Are you kidding me?"

"I wish it'd be a joke"

"But he also says he is missing his wife?" I asked to get her logic.

"This woman is always around him. She looks in this way to him… like…"

"Like you are used to look at him?" I asked with a grin.

She mumbled something, but I didn't catch it.

"Well… are you sure, that the Doctor could fall in love with this woman?" I asked her.

"Pretty sure. She likes him a lot and you know how women can be, if they know what they want. So please, please come today"

"Okay, okay, I'll come in the evening. That's earlier… but in the letter I wrote tomorrow… so you must hurry up." I told her and went to a mirror to make my hair.

(^.^)

It was already evening, when I went to the school. I was a bit frighten, because I wasn't sure, what the Doctor – no John – was expecting from his wife. Also I wasn't sure about the information about this strange woman, Martha told me. As I arrived at school, I saw Martha and another woman sit outside and looking up to the stars. If I could remember right, I should know Martha as the maid. So here we go!

"Oh my god… Martha! I'm glad to see you!" I said while I went to the two ladies.

Martha looked at me firstly surprised but as she realized who I am, she started to smile and I heard her saying to the other woman, "That's Mister Smith wife, Jenny." Martha stood up and wanted to bring me to my husband – wow that sounds still kind of awkward to me – as we both suddenly recognize a green light in the sky.

"Have you seen that?" I asked Martha and Jenny.

"Seen what?" Jenny asked.

"I've also seen it" Martha told me as a woman ran out of the wood to the pub behind us. "Matron, are you alright?"

"Did you see that?" she asked in panic. "There was something in the woods...this light..."

Just then John stepped out of the pub, "Anything wrong, ladies?" than he looked in my direction and started smiling. "Emma? Oh my beloved Emma!" he said and ran in my direction, hugged me first and then kissed me.

"Good evening… John", I said after the kiss. I was really surprised. "You seemed to have missed me a lot… Darling."

"Of course I missed you and our children" He said.

"You have children?" the Matron-lady asked surprised. I looked at Martha who nodded and I understand.

"Well… we have three children: Sarah, Jane and Michael, but we call him Mickey." John said proud. He mentioned these names… I can remember. It was in Cambridge…

"And the fourth is on board", I said and was joking, but nobody without Martha seemed to recognize the joke.

"Really Darling? That's wonderful news. Even better that you are today here and not tomorrow" John said and kissed me again. And I recognized his tongue!

"Yeah… I thought, if this will also be a girl, we could call her Rose…", I said.

"Like this girl in your dreams!" the Matron said.

"What do you know about the dreams of my husband?" I asked and tried to sound angry.

"Um… I told her about it… I have such strange dreams… I wrote about it. She wanted to read them", John explained to me. So I nodded and suddenly John meant, "I think we should leave Darling… you have to be tired… and I want to be alone with you."

"Well… what's with the strange light, the Matron saw?" I asked John.

"Did you also saw it?" he asked me.

"Kind of… it was a short light… for just a second", I said.

"But enough of that, it's far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you…"

"There!" Joan shouted, interrupting him as she pointed to the sky where the green light flew past again, "There, look in the sky!"

"That's beautiful," Jenny breathed.

Martha looked over at me, both of us sharing a meaningful glance before I nodded. It was them.

"There..." John nodded, "Commonly known as a meteorite. It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all."

"It came down in the woods," I remarked, eyeing Martha who nodded this time.

"No, no, no," he shook his head, "They always look close, when actually they're miles off. Nothing left but a cinder. Now…I think I should escort you back to the school," he smiled at me before looking up at Joan, "Matron?" she nodded and he turned to Martha and Jenny, "Ladies?"

"No, we're fine, thanks," Martha replied, looking at the woods.

"Then I shall bid you goodnight," he put his hat on and started to walk off with me.

"Martha," I called as we passed, "Be careful."

"Of course ma'am," she nodded, both of us knowing she was going to go looking for the ship.

(^.^)

The next day Martha and I walked through the woods towards an old stone barn where the TARDIS was kept. I had snuck out of my and John's room last night when Martha gently knocked on the door so we could speak about the ship…or lack thereof.

According to Martha, she and Jenny had gone right to where it fell but there was nothing there. Martha ventured a guess that it was invisible, some sort of cloaking device, and I agreed. We were going back to the TARDIS to see if any of the low powered scanners had picked anything up.

Martha pushed open the door and smiled, seeing the TARDIS still there despite the fact the Family had now landed and were probably looking for it. She pulled out the key from the chain around her neck and opened the door, walking in with me.

I moved around the consoles, looking at the scanners while Martha's mind drifted to what had happened the last time the Doctor had been there…the agony he had to endure to use the Chameleon Arch...

She shook her head, not wanting to remember the Doctor's cries and screams of pain as his biology was rewritten.

"Nothing," I sighed, "She picked up a trace, but we can't pinpoint it or get a schematic up without powering her up more. And we can't risk that."

Martha nodded and walked over to where she was looking at the monitor, "Here, the Doctor made a video with instructions on it, not much help, tends to just ramble on…" she hit a button and the screen flickered.

The Doctor sat down, "This working?" he tapped the camera, "Martha, Emma, before I change here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One, don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. Two, don't worry about the TARDIS, I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it, just let it hide away. Four…no, wait a minute, three. No getting involved in big historical events. Four...you. Don't let me abandon you. And fi…"

I paused the video, "I have seen this video too. More often than you… I had much space time here"

Martha shook her head and fast forwarded the Doctor's speech, "And twenty three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Martha, then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it, to him it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Martha. Your choice," he turned to walk off but came back, "Oh, and thank you."

The recording stopped, with him smiling out at them.

"I wish he'd come back," I looked at him sadly.

"Me too," Martha nodded. „SO… how was your night Misses Smith? ", she asked me with a big grin.

"A lady never tells" I said.

(^.^)

I discovered, though it should have been obvious, that John Smith was ever the gentleman. He'd called me over to invite me to take a walk with him to town after his class was over. I'd accepted, of course, how else could I keep an eye on him now that the Family was there without being with him. Not to mention, I was starting to rather enjoy this version of the Doctor.

We walked, hand in hand, towards the small village, just looking around and enjoying the crisp air. We were currently talking about his first coming to the school. Apparently, to John and his memories, before he'd left, they'd had a small, serious discussion about the type of school he would be teaching in. Emma Smith hadn't liked the idea of a military school and I could completely agree. Martha and I have watched him with his class. He taught them how to use weapons. I didn't know the Doctor could handle weapons.

"I still don't like the school John," I told him, "Watching boys learn how to kill…it isn't right."

"Don't you think discipline is good for them?" he countered.

"Does it have to be such military discipline? I mean, if there's another war those boys won't find it so amusing."

"Well...Great Britain's at peace, long may it reign."

"But Martha told me, in your journal you wrote about 1914. That's next year"

"That was just a dream."

"All those images of mud and wire," I continued, subtly trying to nudge him, get his memory of the Doctor to peek through, "You told of a shadow, a shadow falling across the entire world."

"Well, then we can be thankful it's not true. And I'll admit mankind doesn't need warfare and bloodshed to prove itself, everyday life can provide honor and valor and...let's hope that from now on this...this country can...can find its heroes in smaller places..." I frowned, watching as he grew more and more distracted. I turned to follow his gaze, seeing him watching a woman pushing a baby pram up a hill towards where a group of men were trying to lift a piano, "In the most..." the rope started to fray, "Ordinary..." the woman almost reached it, "Of deeds!"

He grabbed a cricket ball from a young boy nearby and hurled it at a bundle of poles. They fell, hitting a plank of wood with a brick on the end which flew up and over the piano, knocking a milk churn into the woman's path. She stopped with a shout moments before the piano crashed down.

"Lucky..." he murmured.

"That was no luck," I smiled at him broadly, "That was just my amazing husband."

He turned to me, his heart racing and swelling at my praise, "Emma, would you like to attend the village dance this evening with me?"

I laughed, leaning forward to give him a small peck, "Of course I would John."

(^.^)

We walked past a field on the way back to the school, I still trying to get through to the Doctor in John, "It's all becoming clear now, the Doctor is the man you'd like to be, doing impossible things with cricket balls."

"Well, I discovered a talent, that's certainly true!" he laughed.

"But the Doctor 'has an eye for the ladies,'" she said, mock cross.

"The devil!"

"A girl at every fireplace…"

He could only laugh and shake his head, "Now, there I have to protest, that's hardly me and you know it! The only girl for me is you."

I smiled but I had a strange feeling in my stomach as he said that.

He looked over and spotted a lone scarecrow in the middle of a field, "That scarecrow's all skewed."

He crossed the field and stood before it, stretching its arms across the frame again and tying it down as I watched, "Ever the artist. Where did you learn to draw?"

"Gallifrey."

I blinked, "Is that in…Ireland?"

"Yes, it must be, yes…" he trailed, sounding unsure.

"But you're not Irish John."

"Not at all, no. My father Sidney was a watchmaker from Nottingham and my mother Verity was a school teacher…like you," he smiled up at me. "She ran a small school back home for the younger children, teaching them to read and write and do math before they entered the higher schools."

"I know," I smiled, going along with it, "They're lovely people. And teachers do make such good wives!"

"You don't have to tell me," he leaned forward and kissed me quickly, stepping back to look at the scarecrow, "Well, my work is done, what do you think?"

"Masterpiece," I replied, eying it a bit. It didn't quite sit right with me, the scarecrow, it seemed off, but I scarcely had time to properly examine it as John had taken my hand.

"All sorts of skills today!" he laughed, pulling me back to the road and continuing on.

(^.^)

I sat in John's study later in the day as he sketched me into a small book, "John you already have a sketch of me," I told him, sitting perfectly still, "In your journal you know."

"Yes, but Matron has my book," her replied, unfazed, as he continued, "Therefore I must have a backup," he looked at me with a smile, "And sketches from dreams can never best reality."

I blushed, "Can I see?" he stepped up and moved to sit next to me on the sofa, showing me the picture, "Oh, John, you've done it."

"Done what?" he asked, his eyes still on her.

"You've made me far too beautiful."

"Well that's how I see you."

I looked surprised at him. "Only you," I told him with a little sad note in my voice.

"Then I shall be glad of it," he leaned into my direction, "No other man will be eyeing what's mine,"

My heart went so fast, I could swear it would explode every minute. He moved more in my direction and a little wisp of hair flew out of my hair style. Gently as he could be, he stroked the hair behind my ear. And his head moved to my ear and he whispered "I love you, Emma Sophie Smith". I got goosebumps and could not respond to him. I recognize how his head moved to my face and I felt his mouth kissing each inch of his way. Till he was on my lips. He pulled away breathless, both of us breathing softly as we tried to regain our air, "Beautiful…" he whispered before leaning in again, pulling me into a long and loving kiss. And to be honest: I did not mind.

And then the door burst open.

"Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" he snapped.

Martha's eyes widened and she scurried out of the room.

"John," I chastised him lightly, getting up to go check on Martha. For her to burst in like that, it must have meant something important. I opened the door, but Martha was gone.

(^.^)

Later that night, I turned slowly in the study, showing John my dress. It was a simple, light green, three-quarter sleeved, floor length dress.

"You look beautiful," he breathed, unable to pull his eyes away from me.

"You'd best give me some warning," I told him, "In the last few months…has your dancing improved at all?"

He laughed, "I should think not, but I'm not certain."

"There's a surprise. Is there anything you are certain about?"

"Yes," he nodded, taking a step towards me, staring at me pointedly, "Oh yes," he brushed my hair from my face and leaned in, kissing me deeply.

I leaned into the kiss, it was so hard to resist him – believe me. I knew it wasn't the Doctor, I knew John's time there was limited, but…he was so much like how I wanted to be my prince charming…

The door burst open and Martha ran in breathless, "They've found us!"

"Martha, I've warned you…" John began.

Martha ignored him and turned to me, "They've found us, and I've seen them…they look like people, like us, like normal. I'm sorry, but he's got to open the watch…" she turned to the mantle, but the watch was gone, "Where is it?" she shuffled through the things on it, "Oh my God, where's it gone? Where's the watch?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You had a watch, a fob watch. Right there!"

"Did I? I don't remember."

"Oh my God, Doctor we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny and they've...possessed her or copied her or something and you've got to tell me…"

I quickly strode over and took Martha's hand, pulling her out of the room, and shutting the door behind her.

"They've taken Jenny?" I asked quickly, knowing John would be coming to check on us any moment. Martha nodded, "Alright, I'll help you look for the watch and then we've got to…"

"No," Martha cut in, "You can't, John Smith is waiting to take you to the dance."

"He'll be alright."

"He's human!"

"And so are you!"

"But he needs you more," Martha told me quietly, "Trust me. After everything we've seen and done, I can do this. I'll figure out some way to snap him out of it and meet you at the dance. Just keep an eye on him yeah?"

"Martha…" I began.

"What?"

I smiled, "You are good," Martha smiled back at her, "Be careful. Or I'll be angry with you… kind of my best friend."

She nodded and ran off down the hall.

"Everything alright?" John peeked his head out the door.

"Fine…just a bit of culture shock. You heard her…aliens."

He nodded, stepping out of the room and holding out an arm, "Shall we?"

I swallowed hard, nervous for Martha and what she knew would be coming, before taking his arm.

(^.^)

We walked up the pathway to the village hall for the dance, laughing at a small joke when the man at the door held out a can, "Spare a penny for the veterans of the Crimea, sir?"

"Yes, of course," John dropped a coin into the can, "There you are."

We turned and headed inside, to the hall where people were milling about, getting drinks and talking.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" an announcer called, "Please take your partners for a waltz."

"It seems we were just in time," I smiled. To be honest I was really nervous. I just know what a waltz is from old very old movies and from a book about Austrian Musicien.

We took our places and started to dance in time with everyone else, "Better," I commented.

"I've surprised myself," he laughed…

And then he bumped into another couple, mumbling. "Sorry."

"That was so clear" I said laughing. To be honest…I could fall in love with John, the human. I also like the Doctor, but John… John was sometimes like the Doctor. But most of time he was the clear opposite.

(^.^)

John had gone to get a drink for us while I looked around, spotting Joan sitting by herself at a table. I smiled softly and went over to sit across from her, "Hello Matron," I greeted.

"Oh, Mrs. Smith, hello."

"Please, just Emma."

"Then it's Joan for you."

"I haven't seen you around much Joan, Martha's told me you and John got on quite well. Is everything alright?"

"I…" she sighed with a little laugh and flush, "I'm rather embarrassed actually. I'm afraid I didn't realize Mr. Smith was married."

"Well I guess it's that he doesn't wear the ring." I joked, "But it's alright. There aren't many people who can meet him and not fall in love with him in some way. He's different from any other man. And sometimes he says these strange things…" she looked at Joan to see her nodding, "But it's deeper than that. Sometimes, when you look in his eyes, you know, you just know, that there's something else in there. Something hidden. Right behind the eyes, something hidden away. In the dark."

"What…"

"Mrs. Smith!" Martha shouted, rushing over to the table.

"Martha," I turned my attention to my friend, "What have you got?"

"I couldn't find the watch anywhere. But I went to the TARDIS, all I could find was this," she held up the sonic.

"Oh, now really, Martha," John walked over, setting down the drinks, "This is getting out of hand. I must insist that you leave."

Martha just stood up and held out the sonic, "Do you know what this is? Name it. Go on, name it," he frowned at it, slowly taking it out of Martha's hands and looking at it, "You're not John Smith. You're called the Doctor. The man and woman in your journal, they're real, he's real. He's you."

Before John could even speak an older man, gun in hand, knocked over a hat stand as he strode in.

"There will be silence!" he shouted, "All of you!" animated scarecrows filed in after him, Jenny, and Baines, "I said silence!"

"Mr. Clarke!" the announcer called, "What's going on?"

Clarke simply turned and fired at him, dissolving him into ash.

"John," I stood up, "Everything Martha told you, just forget it! Don't say anything."

"We asked for silence!" Baines shouted, "Now then. We have a few questions for Mr. Smith."

"No, better than that," a little girl with a red balloon walked over to them, "The teacher. He's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

"You took human form."

"Of course I'm human, I was born human," John replied, "As were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mr. Clarke! What is going on, this is madness!"

"And a human brain, too! Simple, thick, and dull."

"He's no good like this," Jenny shook her head.

"We need a Time Lord," Clarke glared.

"Easily done," Baines stepped forward and raised his gun, aiming it at John. The crowd gasped as John recoiled backwards, "Change back."

"I don't know what you're talking about," John stated.

"Change back!"

"I literally do not know…"

Jenny reached forward and snatched Martha, pulling her back, and holding a gun to her head, her arm around the woman's neck.

"Get off me!" Martha struggled.

"She's your friend, isn't she?" Martha glared at Jenny, "Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"I don't know what you mean!" he repeated.

"Wait a minute..." Jenny paused, thinking to her conversation with Martha just before, "The maid told me about another Smith…his wife...that woman, there!"

"Let's have you!" Clarke grabbed me and pulled me towards him.

"What?", I exclaimed surprised. He held me around my neck as well and pointed a gun at my head.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor?" Baines grinned, "Being human? Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or the Mrs.? Your friend or your wife? Your choice."

_To be continued…_

**Well I hope you enjoyed it!  
Yukiko**


	10. The family of blood

**I'm so sorry, I know it has been a while… about a month…**

**Well, still enjoy "The Family of Blood"**

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith," Jenny grinned.

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge," Baines added.

Suddenly the Family looked up sharply, smelled the air for something, and to my luck, loosened their grips on Martha and me. I looked at her and she nodded at me. I stepped on Clarke's foot and elbowed him in the stomach. He was taken aback and I took the gun out of his hand and aimed the gun at him.

"Alright! One more move, and I shoot!", Martha said. I pressed the gun to Clarke's head, to show that I would shoot as well. Though, secretly I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do so and I'm pretty sure, Martha as well.

"Oh, the maid and the Mrs. are full of fire!" Baines taunted.

"And you can shut up!", I said, pointing the gun at the ceiling and firing, before pointing it back at Clarke.

"Careful, Son of Mine!" Clarke said, "This is all for you so that you can live forever."

"Shoot you down!" Baines aimed his gun at Martha.

"Try it!", Martha said, "We die together."

"Would you really pull the trigger?", Baines asked, Martha hesitated, "Looks too scared."

"Scared and holding a gun's a good combination. You wanna risk it?", she replied.

Baines glanced at the Doctor, before lowering his gun.

"Doctor, get everyone out," I told the Doctor, gun still pointing at Clarke's head, "There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on!"

"Mr. Smith, she means you!", Martha said, still pointing the gun as well.

"Do what she said.", Joan told the Doctor, before turning to everyone else, "Everybody out now!" she started to usher people out, grabbing John's arm and pulling him out as well.

Martha and I stood in front of the family, and to be honest: I didn't have a clue what we were doing in that moment. And then it happened: Clarke pushed me away, and I lost the control over him. I went a few steps away and stood behind Martha, still pointing the gun at Clarke. Martha released Baines and stood now right next to me. "Don't try anything. I'm warning you", Martha shouted at them.

"She is almost brave, that one", Baines said about Martha.

"I should have taken her form. Much more fun. So much spirit" Jenny said.

"What happened to Jenny? Is she gone?" Martha asked with an angry voice.

"Martha, what did I tell you about stupid questions?" I asked Martha in a strict way. Honestly, it was clear. The family had taken the body of poor Jenny. I turned to the Family and told them: "Don't worry. You don't have to answer this question"

Suddenly two soldiers gripped us and took our weapons. Martha screamed but I took her hand and pull her out of the house. In front of the house were the Doctor and Joan.

"Don't just stand there and look. God you're rubbish as human" Martha told them.

Ok, I have to take back my thoughts about John. We need a hero – we need the Doctor. If you can call the Doctor a hero. Superman – totally hero, Iron Man – well you can say that, but the Doctor… he has already saved a lot of lives, but ya'know, he has his own way with it…

Well, I was so deep in thought that I didn't realized we have already reached the school. John went inside and took a bell. He shouted and every student stood up.

"What're you doing?" Martha demanded.

"Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together," he replied, "Take arms! Take arms!"

"You can't do that!" Martha and I shouted.

"You want me to fight, don't you? Take arms! Take arms!"

The boys started rushing down the stairs, trying to pull on their jackets as they went, "I say sir, what's the matter?" one of the students, Hutchinson, asked.

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson. Enemy at the door. Take arms!"

They boys nodded and ran off, grabbing various guns and starting to load up their machine guns as the women watched in horror, "You can't do this, Doctor," Martha shouted, "Mr. Smith!"

"Maintain position over the stable yard," he ordered the boys.

"They're just boys! You can't ask them to fight!"

"He is not the Doctor, Martha. He is John Smith… A teacher in 1913" I said to Martha with a sad voice.

"Faster now! That's it."

"Mr. Smith. You can let them do that. They are children", Martha started again.

"They're cadets," he looked at her, his eyes softening, "They are trained to defend the King and all his properties."

"Cadets yes," she nodded, "But they are _not_ soldiers."

"What in thunder's name is this?" the headmaster demanded, storming into the room, "Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain, very simply and immediately, exactly what is going on?"

"Headmaster, I have to report the school is under attack," John turned to him.

"Really? Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private."

"I promise you, sir. I was in the village with my wife. It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mr. Clarke from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir. They've got guns. They held my wife and Martha hostage. They've already murdered people in the village. I saw it happen."

"Matron, is that so?"

"I'm afraid it's true, sir," Joan nodded.

"Murder on our own soil?"

"I saw it, yes."

"Perhaps you did well then, Mr. Smith. What makes you think the danger's coming here?"

John hesitated, "Well, sir, they said, um..."

"Baines threatened Mr. Smith, sir," Joan cut in, "Um, said he'd follow him. We don't know why."

"Very well," he nodded, "You boys, remain on guard. Mr. Snell, telephone the police. Mr. Philips, with me. We shall investigate."

Martha ran over to the headmaster as he moved to leave, "No, it's not safe out there."

"Mr. Smith, it seems your favourite servant is giving me advice. You will control her, sir."

I walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder, letting the headmaster leave, "There's no changing his mind once it's been made," I told Martha softly, "The boys will fight…but they won't fight alone. We need to find that watch."

"Stay with the Doctor. I'll go…" Martha said. I saw in her face that she was shocked about the behaviour of the Doctor. It was so different to our normal Doctor… I looked after her and saw Joan following her.

(^.^)

John Smith stood in the window by the front of the school, watching as the headmaster and his assistant, Mr. Philips, stepped outside to confront Baines and Jenny, "So, Baines and one of the cleaning staff," the headmaster remarked, "There's always a woman involved. Am I to gather that some practical joke has got out of hand?"

"Headmaster, sir," Baines grinned crookedly, "Good evening, sir. Come to give me a caning, sir? Would you like that, sir?"

"Keep a civil tongue, boy."

"Now, come now everyone," Philips cut in, "I suspect alcohol has played its part in this. Let's all just calm down. And who are these friends of yours, Baines? In fancy dress."

"Do you like them, Mr. Philips?" Baines looked at the scarecrows that assembled behind him and Jenny, "I made them myself. I'm ever so good at science, sir. Look…" he pulled off one of their arms, "Molecular fringe animation fashioned in the shape of straw men, my own private army, sir. Ever so good, sir."

"Baines, step apart from this company and come inside with me," the headmaster ordered.

"No, sir. You, sir…you will send us Mr. John Smith. That's all we want, sir, Mr. John Smith and whatever he's done with his Time Lord consciousness. He will be far easier to get to than the woman. Then we'd be very happy to leave you alone."

"You speak with someone else's voice, Baines. Who might that be?"

"We are the Family of Blood."

"Mr. Smith said there had been deaths."

"Yes, sir! And they were good, sir!"

"Well, I warn you, the school is armed."

"All your little tin soldiers. But tell me, sir, will they thank you?"

"I don't understand."

"What do you know of history, sir? What do you know of next year?"

"You're not making sense, Baines."

"1914, sir. Because the Family has travelled far and wide looking for Mr. Smith and, oh, the things we have seen. War is coming. In foreign fields, war of the whole wide world, with all your boys falling down in the mud. Do you think they will thank the man who taught them it was glorious?"

"Don't you forget, boy, I've been a soldier! I was in South Africa, I used my dead mates as sandbags, I fought with the butt of my rifle when the bullets ran out, and I would go back there tomorrow for King and Country!"

"Et cetera, et cetera," he fired on Philips, disintegrating him, "Run along, headmaster. Run back to the school, and send us Mr. Smith!"

The headmaster quickly turned and fled inside.

"They won't get you John," I whispered from his side. He spun around, his eyes widening.

"Em…" he shook his head.

"Mr. Philips has been murdered, Mr. Smith," the headmaster called, storming over, "Can you tell me why?"

He pulled his eyes away from me to face the headmaster, "Honestly, sir, I have no idea. And the telephone line's been disconnected. We're on our own."

"If we have to make a fight of it, then make a fight we shall. Hutchinson, we'll build a barricade within the courtyards, fortify the entrances, build our defenses. Gentlemen, in the name of the King, we shall stand against them."

The headmaster nodded and walked off, quickly getting back to work.

John looked at me and said to me, "Emma…I want you to go find Martha. Stay with her. I need you to go…"

"But… But I can't I should stay with you", I said.

"But you don't want to fight," he whispered, taking my hand.

"No," I agreed, "But I would. For you."

He swallowed hard and pulled me to him in a tight hug.

(^.^)

John and I walked into a room to see Joan there, in her nurse's uniform, preparing for the battle, "You're with Armitage and Thwaites," he told the boys he was with, "They know the drill," and then headed over to her side, "Matron, it's not safe."

"I'm doing my duty, just as much as you," she paused, "You said once that you were from Nottingham."

"Yes…"

"Tell me about it."

"Sorry?"

"That's where you were brought up. Tell me about it."

"Well, it lies on the River Leen, its southern boundary following the course of the River Trent which flows from Stoke to the Humber."

"That sounds like an encyclopedia. Where did you live?"

"Broadmoor Street, adjacent to Hotley Terrace in the district of Radford Parade."

She nearly flinched, no average human would describe their childhood home like that, so straightforward and informational, "More facts. When you were a child, where did you play? All those secret little places...dens and hideaways that only a child knows? Tell me, John. Please tell me."

John frowned, seeming to see what she was getting at, "How can you think that I'm not real? I'm married, I have a wife!" He looked at me.

"I don't know… but I think she is playing to be your wife", Joan said.

"I have to go…" he shook his head and turned away.

"Mr. Smith, if you please!" the headmaster called and he ran from the room.

(^.^)

We heard the headmaster call, "Stand to!" as Martha, Joan and I as we ran outside as the little girl with the red balloon strolled in, "You child, come out of the way. Come into the school. You don't know who's out there. It's the Cartwright girl, isn't it? Come here. Come to me."

"Mr. Rocastle, please," Martha called, "Don't go near her."

"You were told to be quiet," the headmaster sneered.

"Listen to me, she's part of it! Matron, tell him."

"I think…I don't know," Joan shook her head, "I think you should stay back, Headmaster."

"Mr. Smith…" Martha began.

"She was…she was with…with Baines in the village," John agreed.

"Mr. Smith," the headmaster nearly rolled his eyes, "I've seen many strange sights this night but there is no cause on God's Earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir," he turned to the girl, "Come with me."

"You're funny," she remarked.

"That's right. Now take my hand."

"So funny," she pulled out a gun and shot him, disintegrating him, "Now who's going to shoot me? Any of you? _Really?_"

"Put down your guns!" John shouted to the boys.

"But sir, the headmaster…" Hutchinson began.

Martha ran over, putting her arm around me, leading me back to the house as John handled the boys, "I'll not see this happen. Not anymore. You will retreat...in an orderly fashion back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way."

"But sir…"

"I said, lead the way."

Baines stepped up behind the girl, "Go on, then, run!" he fired his gun into the air and the boys took off in a panic, "Reanimate!" he ordered the scarecrows.

(^.^)

John, Martha, Joan and I were in the tunnel passages under the school, trying to rush the boys out, "Let's go!" John shouted.

"Quick as you can!" I added.

"Don't go to the village!" Martha warned, "It's not safe!"

"And you, ladies," John turned to us.

"Not until we get the boys out," Joan said, voicing all our thoughts.

John nodded, continuing to help the boys out until the last one ran past. He paused and turned to head back in, "Now, I insist. The three of you just go. If there are any more boys inside, I'll find them…" he opened the door to the passage to see scarecrows on the other side and slammed it shut, locking it, "I think...retreat."

He grabbed my hand as we ran out into the night.

(^.^)

The small group was creeping along the woods near the school, trying to get around behind it, when we heard Clarke shouting, "Doctor!" we paused, looking over to see him standing in front of the TARDIS. I gasped, "Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize."

"Out you come, Doctor!" Baines added, now wanting to just get his hands on either of them, "There's a good boy. Come to the Family."

"Time to end it now!" Jenny grinned.

Martha looked at John to see him staring at the TARDIS, eyes wide, mouth opened, "You recognize it, don't you?"

"Come out, Doctor! Come to us!"

"I've never seen it in my life," he shook his head.

"You wrote about it," Joan told him quietly, "In the journal."

"Do you remember its name?" Martha asked.

"I'm not…" his voice broke as he looked at me, "I'm John Smith. That's all I want to be. John Smith, with his life...and his job...and his wife. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

"Yes," I nodded, blinking back tears, "Yes, he is."

"Why can't I stay?"

"Because we need the Doctor," Martha said.

"So what am I then, nothing?" he glared at her, "I'm just a story?"

He got up and ran off.

"John!" I went after him, leaving Joan and Martha to follow.

(^.^)

"This way," Joan called as we ran down a street on the outskirts of the village, "I think I know somewhere we can hide."

"We've got to keep going," John shook his head.

"Just listen to me for once, John. Follow me," we turned and followed her down another road to a small, dark house, "Here we are. It should be empty. Oh, it's a long time since I've run that far."

"But who lives here?" Martha asked as we walked in.

"If I'm right, no one," Joan replied, stepping in and looking around at a simple cottage kitchen, a tea set on the table, "Hello? No one home. We should be safe here."

"Whose house is it, though?"

"Um, the Cartwrights. That little girl at the school…she's Lucy Cartwright, or she's taken Lucy Cartwright's form. If she came home this afternoon and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they were vanished," she put her hand on the teapot, "Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas."

John fell onto one of the chairs heavily, looking for all the world like he had its weight on his shoulders, "I must go to them before anyone else dies."

"You can't," I sat beside him.

Joan looked at Martha, "Martha, there must be something we can do."

"Not without the watch," she shook her head.

"You're this Doctor's Companion!" John snapped, "Can't you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need you?"

"Don't you dare yell at Martha," I cut in, "Yes, she's his Companion, but I'm as well. We have no clue about how helping you."

John looked at me, his eyes wide in horror, "No…" he shook his head in disbelief, "No…you can't be a part of this…"

"I'm sorry John."

"Was it a lie?" he glared, "Was our whole marriage just one big lie?"

"I'm so sorry John", I said with tears in the eyes. "It wasn't planed. You told me to stay in the TARDIS… and suddenly you told Martha about you lovely wife Emma… And she was frighten because… she thought you would fall in love with Joan… sorry Joan"

John swallowed, not knowing what to say to any of this…

Just then there was a knock on the door, "What if it's them?" Joan gasped.

"I'm not an expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock," Martha replied.

"I'm so impressed Martha. That was a clever answer. And Joan… I always tell Martha: don't ask stupid questions", I said, before getting up to open it, seeing Timothy Latimer standing there.

"I brought you this," the boy held out the watch.

"_Emma…_" it whispered to her.

"Oh Tim, Oh Timmy, Timmy Tim…. I like that name…" I said before I quickly took the watch, rushing back into the room and offering it to John, "Hold it."

"I won't," he backed away from her, sensing something about the watch now.

"Please, just hold it."

"It told me to find you," Timothy said, "It wants to be held."

"You've had this watch all this time?" Joan looked at the boy, "Why didn't you return it?"

"Because it was waiting. And because I was scared of the Doctor."

"Why?"

"Because...I've seen him. He's...like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it," John whispered.

"He's ancient and forever. He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the Universe."

"Stop! I said stop it."

"And he's wonderful."

"Absolutely, maddeningly, wonderful," I added quietly.

"I've still got this," Joan pulled out the journal from her pocket, "The journal."

"Those are just stories," John shook his head.

"Now we know that's not true. Perhaps there's something in here…"

There was an explosion from outside and we ran to the window, "What the hell?" Martha gasped.

We all looked out to see what looked like meteorites falling upon the village.

"They're destroying the village, aren't they?" I called, "They're trying to draw him out."

"Watch…" John picked it up.

"Can you hear it?" Timothy asked, eyeing him.

"I think he's asleep," John replied, "Waiting to awaken."

"Why did he speak to me?" Timothy frowned.

"Oh, low level telepathic field," John said, sounding just like the Doctor, "You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing…" he gasped, stopping, scared, "Is that how he talks?"

"That's him!" Martha grinned, excited, "All you have to do is open it and he's back."

He glared at her, "You knew this all along and yet you…you just let me pretend to be married to…"

"I couldn't stop you," Martha cut in, not wanting him to say something to me that he didn't mean, "When the Doctor had the memories implanted in your mind, his feelings for Emma carried over. It's not her fault he likes her that much."

"So he's given me a wife…and now just expects me to die?"

"It was always going to end, though! The Doctor said the Family's got a limited lifespan. That's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said."

"So your job was to execute me."

"It's getting closer," Timothy called as the house jolted.

"I should have thought of it before," John shook his head, "I can give them this. Just the watch. Then they can leave and I can stay as I am!"

"I won't let you do that," I told him calmly, though my voice broke.

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him. If they get what they want, then…then…"

"Then it all ends in destruction. The Family would live forever to breed and conquer. War across the stars...for every _child_," I stood slowly, seeing tears filling John's eyes, and walked over to him, "Martha, Timothy, Joan, would you leave us alone, please?"

They nodded and Martha ushered them out of the room moments before John collapsed into my arms, sobbing. I held him tightly, tears in my eyes I refused to let fall.

(^.^)

John sat beside me on the hearth of the fireplace, holding the watch, staring at it.

He swallowed hard, "It was real. All this. The marriage…I wasn't...I really thought..."

"John," I called softly. He looked at me, but I just reached out and took his hand in my own, moving it till it was between us, before covering the watch with my hand.

We gasped, seeing visions of the future, of the life we could have had, together as human. The birth of their first child, walking in the park with our three children, and, finally, a peaceful death after leading a peaceful life.

"Did you see?" he looked at me.

"The Time Lord has such adventures but we could _never_ have a life like that," I sighed, answering his question. "And not to forget… I wasn't even born yet. He picked me up in 2012… at the university"

He blinked, tears in his eyes as well, "I don't want to die," he whispered to me.

I nodded, standing, "I understand you, but I don't think there is another possibility…"

(^.^)

Martha and I stood outside the TARDIS, waiting for the Doctor to come back from speaking with Joan, more than likely to say goodbye to the woman who had gotten caught in the crossfire of alien war.

"Alright," we heard him call as he walked up, "Molto bene!"

I turned, having just finished telling Martha about the fate of the Family.

"How was she?" Martha asked.

"Time we moved on."

"If you want, I could go and…"

"Time we moved on. I know it was hard to do what you did," he told me, "But…", then he stopped.

It was really awkward between the Doctor and me.

Martha smiled at us, "So here we are then."

"There we are, yes," he nodded, looking at her, "And I never said thanks for looking after me," he stepped over and pulled her into a large hug.

"Doctor, Martha, Emma!" Timothy called, running over to them.

"Tim-Timothy-Timber," he grinned.

"Mine was better: Oh Tim, Oh Timmy Timmy Tim" I said laughing

"I just wanted to say goodbye. And thank you, because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Martha told him.

"I think we do."

"You could get hurt," I agreed.

"You know as well as I do, sometimes it's worth it," Timothy looked at me, "'Cos the two of you could get hurt, travelling around with him, but it's not going to stop you."

"Tim, I'd be honored if you'd take this," the Doctor tossed him the watch.

"I can't hear anything."

"No, it's just a watch now. But keep it with you, for good luck."

"Look after yourself," Martha hugged him before kissing his cheek and getting in the TARDIS.

I smiled back at him, "You'll like this bit."

We turned and headed in as well.

(^.^)

A very old Timothy Latimer sat in a wheelchair outside a Remembrance Sunday service, a female Vicar reading 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyan to those gathered.

"'...they mingle not with laughing comrades again,'" the Vicar read, "'They sit no more at familiar tables of home, they have no lot in our labor of the daytime, they sleep beyond England's foam. They went with songs to the battle. They were young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted. They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."

Timothy looked over, seeing the Doctor, Martha and me standing there. Martha had a poppy in her hand while mine was in my hair, the Doctor wearing one on his lapel. He smiled at us and looked down at the watch in his hand.

**So, well, I mentioned Iron Man, because I recently watched Iron Man 3. Oh, well…**

**I've planned the 'Oh Tim, Oh Timmy, Timmy Tim'-part for a while now, so I hope you like it.**

**The next few chapters will be fillers… So I hope you'll enjoy them.**

**Yukiko**


	11. Awkward

**Hello, my little readers.**

**Enjoy the filler-chapter. I wrote it by myself and I'm quite proud of it.**

**Anyway!**

_**AKWARD**_

I had no idea how long it had been since our last adventure. It felt like years to be honest. Why it felt like this, I had no clue. I only knew that the Doctor couldn't be in the same room with me for more than five minutes. He often hid somewhere inside of the TARDIS. I had not the slightest bit of a clue what his problem was. I hadn't done a thing… I think. Now that I think about it, it was all his fault. Though I had to admit, I was amazed that he had lasted so long without an adventure. Normally we stumbled from one adventure into the other. The one thing that surprised me the most, was probably, that even though we hadn't exchanged a word in weeks, he still didn't drop me off home.

When we would part ways it was plainly awkward. For example: We sometimes met in the kitchen. He would look at his shoes, mumble something, and when he looked up and noticed me, he'd look like a dear caught in the headlight. Then he would swallow quite hard, open his mouth, before quickly shutting it again and run off, to god knows where.

On this fine day it was no exception. I was in the kitchen, making sandwiches for me and Martha when he walked in. Like always he mumbled something under his breath and kept his eyes trained on his shoes. He was fiddling with his fingers nervously and had a determinate look on his face. Then he looked up and it vanished and was replaced with a look of horror. Wow, did I look that bad? He started to gap like a fish, before shutting his mouth tightly, shaking his head and turning on his heel. He hesitated for a second, before running off. In that moment Martha came inside and had an annoyed look on her face.

"What is his problem?", I asked angrily. I was getting really tired off this.

Martha shook her head. She was tired off this as well. "Maybe he wanted to apologize but you scared him off with your glare", she said and took one of the sandwiches.

"Haha, very funny" I replied sassy.

"I mean it. That's some scary glare", she said smiling.

"Well… Next time when I see him, I will smile like a Cheshire cat. Would that be better?" I asked her and put on a wide grin.

"Don't push it. Or else he even more scared of you", Martha said giggling.

We chat about ten more minutes, then I went to my room to search for a book, which I wanted to show Martha.

When I came back, I could hear the Doctor and Martha.

"You have to tell her", Martha ordered.

"B-But I can't.", the Doctor defended.

"You're an over 900 year-old timelord and you're seriously telling me you can't tell her?", Martha shot back.

"W-Well…yeah, obviously.", the Doctor answered.

"Have you even tried?", Martha asked.

"Of course, I did. But then she gave me that look.", The Doctor said.

"I just told her to look nicer. What's the worst that could happen? It's totally obvious.", Martha said.

"Well, she could laugh at me, or worse, cry.", the Doctor said.

"Why would she cry?", Martha asked puzzled.

"I-I don't know. She's human, you also cry when you're happy.", the Doctor defended.

"Yeah… she's human… Anyway! She could also cry because she's happy you finally told her.", Martha said. Ok, now I was really curious to what the Doctor had to tell me and pulled out a mirror. What? Don't look at me like that. I'm not vain. It's just that, since I've read _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ I've been afraid off the basilisk and so I always keep a mirror near me, to defend myself… Ok, maybe that is a bit strange. Anyway, I looked down at my reflection and tried my best to attempt a nice and friendly smile.

"I don't think so.", the Doctor answered.

"Just tell her. Then we'll all be a bit cleverer.", Martha said.

That's when I decided it was my time to shine, and I went into the kitchen, wearing the smile I just practiced on the mirror and asked, "What should he tell me?"

The Doctor jumped and made an attempt to run off, but Martha grabbed his arm and held him in place. She smirked at me and answered, "I'll leave you alone.", she turned towards the Doctor with a stern face and added, "And you don't run off again, Mr.", then she went and left the room.

A quite awkward silence followed. After about five minutes Martha came back in and sighed, "Just tell her!", before going out again with a huff.

"Well…?", I asked hopefully. Seriously, curiosity kills the cat.

"Um… at first I wanted to apologize for my behaviour-", I cut him off.

"It's ok. I totally understand, it was a strange situation, after all you thought I was your wife. Desperate times need desperate mashers, isn't it? Actually I should apologize to you, or rather John Smith, because I knew that it wouldn't last, but I didn't try to stop it. That situation wasn't your fault, because you probably remembered my surname and that human brain thought that I had to be your wife, because you don't have sisterly feelings for me."

"Oh well…", I cut him off again.

"I suggest we forget about this all and act like it never happened. Deal?", I asked, while stretching out my hand for him to shake. He looked at it and after some hesitation he shook it.

I smiled at him and asked, "So, onto the next adventure?"

He grinned back and me and said, "Of course. Allons-y!"

With that we made our way to the control room. There sat Martha and she looked up and immediately ran up to me and asked, "And? How'd it go?"

"Well, we're alright again. I'm so glad.", I answered.

Then Martha started to jump up and down and chanted, "He told you! He told you! I'm so happy for you!"

"Actually, I did apologizing.", I added.

Martha stopped immediately to jump and asked bewildered, "What?!", then she glared at the Doctor and said, "You didn't tell her?"

The Doctor looked away and said, "Well, she took the words out of my mouth…"

He was cut short by the TARDIS giving a jolt.

"What have you done?", Martha screeched.

"I didn't do anything.", the Doctor defended himself.

That's when we heard the sound off a key put in the TARDIS. We looked at each other, before looking back at the door. It was death silent so you could hear the key turning in the lock. The door slowly opened with a crack and revealed a girl. She was maybe 17 and had ginger, shoulder-length hair and bright blue eyes. She was about an inch taller than me. She looked around the TARDIS, before muttering quite loudly, "Opps, wrong TARDIS", then she looked at us and our faces and said the most shocking thing.

"Mum, Dad?"

**Mwuahahaha! CLIFFHANGER!**

**Who's the girl and why did she call Emma and the Doctor Mum and Dad? And why did Martha hesitate when saying that Emma's a human?**

**That's for me to know and for you to find out!**

**Yukiko**


	12. the weakest link

**Hola!**

**Another self-written-Chapter! Yay!**

**SO have a lot of fun with 'Weakest Link'!**

The door opened and a girl stepped inside. She had long wavy ginger hair, wore a large black leather coat, black boots and a short kilt. "Opps, wrong TARDIS", she said, then she looked at us and said the most shocking thing.

"Mum, Dad?"

[Theme Song]

„How did you call me?", I asked really suprised.

"Oh no… Dad always told me not to tell too much… and the first thing I do is to go to my parents from the past and tell them that they are my parents… good job, Apple, really good job"

"Did you just say your name is Apple?", I asked.

"Let's pretend it is… let's call me Applepie!", the girl answered with a big grin. After a second she frowned and I could hear her muttering, "That's how it happened…"

"From which planet do you come from?", the Doctor asked sceptically.

"Um… Actually I wasn't born on a planet… I was born… there! Right there, where Martha stands!", _Applepie_ answered, pointing in Martha's direction.

Martha yelped and jumped away, before looking up and noticing all of us starring at her. She muttered an apology before saying out loud:" What? That's disgusting."

"Um… didn't you want to become a doctor?", I asked.

"Well… not like this.", Martha defended.

"Anyway.", _Applepie_ said, drawing our attention back to her, "I think I should go…"

"You're not gonna leave before you answered some questions.", the Doctor said.

"What kind of questions?", _Applepie_ asked.

"Questions only my daughter could answer.", The Doctor and I answered at the same time.

"Great… oh merlin's pants, it started!", _Applepie_ muttered.

"And what am I gonna do while you ask your questions?", Martha asked.

"You could try to answer them as well.", _Applepie_ suggested.

"So your mother can taunt me even more?", Martha asked, though she didn't sound mad.

"You know that it's just fun.", I said.

"Well… I'll try", Martha answered and went to stand next to _Applepie_.

"So… I guess we are ready", _Applepie_ said and looked at us.

The Doctor and I looked at each other. We both had to think what we would ask our potential daughter. I also was amused about this picture. It remind me to "The weakest link". And then the first question came to my mind.

"With who did I have my first kiss?"

"Billy Weasley… he was the boy next door. You were mad about him when you were 12 years old. He moved at the age of 15. Your first and only kiss with Billy was after his birthday party when he leaded you to the fence. It was really bad", _Applepie_ answered.

I was amazed, it was really accurate.

"One moment. You had your first kiss with a guy named Billy Weasley… like… the brother of Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend?", Martha asked shocked.

"Well… this was a reason why I liked him…", I said when I suddenly realized something. "um.. Doctor… who could we have a child? We are just friends, aren't we?"

"In fact you have two children", _Applepie_ mumbled.

"You have siblings?", Martha asked_ Applepie_ loudly.

"YOU HAVE SIBLINGS?", the Doctor and I asked surprised at the same time.

"A-And there we have it again. But I can't answer this question", _Applepie_ explained.

"Why not?" I asked a bit angrily.

"Because… it's a spoiler",

"But…"

"No Emma. She's right. We should not know more than is necessary. It could change everything", the Doctor explained to me.

"Well we already know that we have a daughter. But I asked you again. How it is possible that we will have … children" I asked again.

The Doctor looked surprised at me and his gaze wandered to Martha, searching for help. She smiled back at him and he started to stutter, "Well… um… I guess... How many moons has the Saturn!?"

"Martha should answer this time first" _Applepie_ said.

"Well… I guess…. 6?"

"Actually there are 62 known moons, though not all of them have been named. But my favorite one is Calypso… Great birthday memories.", _Applepie_ answered.

"Applepie's answer is right. It's brilliant", the Doctor explained.

"Well… next question Mum",

"What was Shakespeare's nickname for me?"

"I KNOW THIS answer!", Martha said proudly.

"Me too. It was Scottish Rose", _Applepie_ answered. "Dad… next question… a bit more personal would be great"

"Who is Susan Campell"

"Kind of my niece… she is your granddaughter."

"You have a granddaughter?", Martha asked.

"Well I'm 900 years old. Of course I had a family once on Galliyfrey. I also had a great-grandson", the Doctor said. "Now it's your turn Emma"

"Well… let me think…. Who is my idol?", I asked.

"Your godmother… Dad also likes her a lot… But anyway the questions should be harder",

"Well, you wanted so: What was my first word?", I asked.

"Can I try it? I guess it was something very intelligent like… Einstein or something like that",

"No Martha. Mum's first word was 'Daddy' because she couldn't handle it, that her father was gone. By the way, it was also my first word", _Applepie_ said with a big smile on her face.

"Where did I met Emma", the Doctor asked. I looked at him very surprised.

"You met Mum at Cambridge University. It's quite a funny story… you rescued her form a Slitheen and pretended to be her boyfriend in front of Uncle Richard."

"You both like to pretend to be a couple, don't you?", Martha asked laughing.

"NO", we both answered loudly.

"Well I guess we are ready", the Doctor suddenly said.

"One moment please", _Applepie_ said and opened her coat. She looked in one of the inside pocket and searched something.

"Is this coat bigger on the inside?", Martha asked.

"Yes, Martha. That's right. You are so clever", _Applepie_ said and I could hear a sarcastic undertone. Martha smiled proudly at me.

"Martha you know that this was sarcasm, right?" I asked her.

"Like mother, like daughter." Martha mumbled.

"Ah… there it is", _Applepie_ said and put a notebook and pencils out of her coat. The half of the notebook she threw to Martha and said: "Now it's time: the weakest link", _Applepie_ shouted and wrote something on the paper. So did Martha.

"Well let's find out who you think is the weakest link", I said as a joke and I saw how _Applepie_ smiled.

She turned her papers and said "Martha." Martha did the same and said also her name. "Good job Martha! That's right!"

Suddenly I heard a strange voice outside the TARDIS shouting something. And in this moment _Applepie_ turned around and looked shocked at the door. "I have to go. Right now", she said and ran to the door. We were too far away but I could hardly see how she hugged a man outside and went away with him.

"I guess this was a future me", the Doctor guess and smiled.

"So… can we now go on a new adventure? Not that I don't like that two generations make fun of me.", Martha asked.

"Well let's see where the TARDIS will lead us", the Doctor said and went to the console.

I just stood and looked at the door. It was strange. I just met _Applepie_ but I had the feeling we would meet her more often in the future – before she will be born.

**So that's it… **

**Next chapter will be the last self-written-Chapter for a while… and I'll skip 'Blink'… kind of… Well, you'll understand in the next chapter. Hope you liked Applepie. She was only there for a short while and I originally wanted to have them an adventure with her, but then I was too lazy to think of anything… But I guess it was not the last time we heard from her. **

**Anyway! Bye and have a nice Day/Night!**

**Yukiko!**


	13. My dear Watson - er Doyle

**Hello Whovians!**

**Next chapter is up! YAY! Sorry, if it's bad, and to those who read the Sherlock Holmes novels, I didn't, so I'm sorry if I got anything wrong.**

**Also, the royal baby has birthday on the same day as me.**

**So enjoy 'My dear Watson – er, Doyle'!**

"Are you insane?!", I screeched, "You can't just land in 1917, it's in the middle of the war! London might be under attack!"

"You wanted to see history. And I got a distress call.", the Doctor remarked.

"What if a bomb lands on the TARDIS? Do you happen to have shields like in Star Trek?", I asked huffing, because he was right.

"Nah! It'll be alright. Made sure to park her at a point where I am pretty sure that no bomb lands.", he said, making his way toward the door.

"Why did we answer it anyway? It's the First World War, don't you get a lot of distress call from here.", Martha asked.

"No, I don't. I rarely get ones, because you have to be raver intelligent to get to the TARDIS.", the Doctor answered, before looking and me with a grin, "Am I right Emma?"

"Why should I know?", I asked puzzled.

"When we met you sent me a distress call.", he said, continuing to walk to the door.

"Oh… really?", I asked stunned.

"Doesn't surprise me.", Martha commented on my shock.

"I guess that's a compliment.", I said, not really asking.

"Yes, it was.", she answered.

"Oh, thanks. Anyway, do you know from who this distress call came from?", I asked curiously.

"Yes, I do. It from Doctor John Watson.", the Doctor said, which caused me and Martha to stop, while the Doctor continued to the door.

[Theme Song]

"Doctor John Watson? As in…Sherlock Holmes?", I asked shock written all over my face, while I caught up with the Doctor. I was really addicted to the novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

"Well, this name is not really rare, isn't it?," Martha asked.

"We are here to find out who Doctor John Watson is and what he wants. Allons-y!", the Doctor said and went out of the TARDIS.

"He is really a mad man…" I said to Martha.

"Well that's what we like about him I guess" Martha answered and ran after him. Now I was alone in the TARDIS, until I heard Martha shout, "Emma! Come out! You won't believe it!"

With these words I ran out of the TARDIS to be greeted with a very surprising sight. It was London, but clearly after a war, because they were rebuilding the city.

"And you're sure this is 1917?", I asked sceptical. The Doctor just nodded as answer.

"But-But how is that possible?", Martha asked.

"I don't have the slightest idea. It's a fixed point in history…", the Doctor trailed off.

I walked over to a man and asked him, "Excuse me, sir? What date is it today? I'm a bit bad at dates."

"Well, young lady today is the 21st of January 1917. Two months after the end of the war", he answered.

"Thank you very much, sir.", I said and went back to the others.

"I guess I have a clue about what's wrong here…", I said, both looking at me expecting an explanation, "It's the 21st of January, two months after the end of the war…", I said, trailing off and hoping they'd get the hint.

"Franz-Joseph's death? But the war ended 1918…", the Doctor muttered confused.

"I've got a question. Sherlock Homes isn't real, is he?", Martha asked.

Before either of us had the chance to answer, the Doctor showed us a newspaper that lay on the floor. The head line said 'Holmes strikes again!' Under that was a picture in black and white of a tall man, who was standing in front of a crime scene, together with another man, a bit shorter than him.

(^.^)

"So… how is that possible? I mean last time I checked Sherlock Holmes wasn't real. Are we in some sort of parallel universe?", I asked, stepping out of the TARDIS, closing the door after me. Martha and I had changed into more suited clothes, while the Doctor stayed in his suit and trench coat.

"Well, I'm not sure, so let's find out! Alons-y!", the Doctor said, leading the way to, what I presumed was 221b Baker street.

"But 221b Baker Street is imaginary. Doyle established it for his novels.", I stated, still not really believing that Sherlock Holmes was real. I could faintly hear Martha mutter, "Emmapedia"

"Well, when in this time Sherlock Holmes is real, why shouldn't his house be real?", the Doctor said, shrugging his shoulders.

And suddenly we were right in front of it: 221b Baker Street. It was a bit different than I imagined, but it was perfect for the great detective.

"Okay, Baker Street is real, obviously. What now, though? Knock and ask Sherlock Holmes for his option?", Martha asked.

The Doctor grinned, saying "Great idea Martha!", before walking up to the house and knocking on the door.

"I was just joking!", Martha said disbelievingly, before we followed the Doctor.

After some moments the door was opened and revealed a tall man, about as tall as the Doctor, maybe a bit taller, with grey eyes and dark brown hair, which looked almost black.

"Good morning. How may I help you?", the man asked.

"Um, hello. Are you by any chance Sherlock Homes?", the Doctor asked.

"Yes, that's me. So, how may I be of assistance?", the man, Sherlock Homes, asked.

I looked at him and was shocked. Did you ever imagine meeting a fictional character? Well in this case I was so shocked I starred at Sherlock and was unable to say anything.

"Well… I'm the Doctor, that's Martha Jones and…"

"I'm Emma Sophie Smith… It's a great honour to meet you" I said and shook hands with the greatest detectives.

"It was my pleasure. How may I help you?" he asked me.

"We are looking for Doctor Watson… he wrote me this message", the Doctor said and showed the psychic paper to Holmes.

It was really incredible. The last times when I saw the paper, it was blank. But this time I could also read the shaky handwriting

"My dear old friend,

Never before has your help been as necessary as now. Not only are London and the Earth in danger, but the whole universe. It's important that you come to 221b Baker Street on the 21st of January in 1917. There everything started.

Best regards,

Dr. John H. Watson"

I was really amazed. I couldn't believe what I read or what I see. It's simply impossible that Sherlock Holmes was a real person… "Em… excuse me Mister Holmes, may I go to the bathroom?" I asked him. I wanted to take a look at the library to see if there are any books of his adventures.

"Of course" he said and led the others to the library. To me he explained the way to the toilet.

When I came back to the library I could hardly miss the books on a special shelf. Every single book was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

"He called Watson", Martha whispered while Holmes was looking out of the window, "So we will find out soon what's wrong"

(^.^)

After a half hour somebody knocked on the door. Sherlock went to the door and opened it. An older man, with grey hair and a chubby body. In that moment I realized that Watson totally looks like Arthur Conan Doyle and I could hardly stop myself of laughing.

"My dear Watson… do you know this gentleman?" Holmes asked his friend.

This looked confused at the Doctor and shook hishead

"But you send me this message, didn't you?" the Doctor asked and now showing Watson the psychic paper.

"Well… it's my signature… but I still don't know you"

"My dear Watson… I guess you should call for Torchwood…", Sherlock said and looked at the Doctor, who in return looked surprised. "I guess our guests are not from this planet", he added.

"Martha, Emma… we should leave", the Doctor said suddenly in a very strict way and went to the door. The two men didn't make a move to stop him and we followed him.

As we arrive at the TARDIS I looked at Martha and the Doctor. "What will we do now?" I asked him.

"Well…nothing."

"May I be wrong, but if someone like Sherlock Holmes is a real person and the First World War ended two years ago… does that not have a big impact to our future?", Martha asked.

The Doctor thought about it and pulled on a lever at the console of the TARDIS. "Let's see what's in some months", he said.

(^.^)

Since our last visit in 221b Baker Street 4 months have passed. As we stepped out of the TARDIS this time we were in the middle of a war. "Bloody hell…" was the only thing I was able to say. Everything around us seemed destroyed or like a bomb had land on it few minutes ago.

"What happened here?" Martha asked.

"I guess nobody of us knows that", the Doctor said, while I saw a newspaper on the floor.

I picked it up and start to read. "He found aliens… on Iceland…" I said and looked at my friends.

"Who is he?" the Doctor asked.

Both Martha and I gave him a look and said in the same time: "You shouldn't ask stupid questions"

"We mean Sherlock Holmes" Martha explained as the Doctor looked confused at us.

"This people on Iceland call themselves the Thal… it seems..:", I said.

"The Thal… Poor things… Can't live on their planet anymore and even on earth they can't live", the Doctor said. "In former time they were a warrior race, but following a terrible war with the Dals who shared their planet, they renounced violence and became pacifist farmers. And later the Dals developed to the Daleks", he explained to us.

"What can we do?"

"Now?... I guess nothing", he said.

"But… why? Hundreds of people will die." Martha said

"Don't forget the Thal…" I added but I know what the Doctor meant. "But the Doctor is right… we can't do something now… we have to wait until 1918",

"WHAT?"

"First World War is a fix point in history… he is not allowed to change such things… "

"But…" Martha wanted to say but stop right as she saw the face of the Doctor. You could see how much it hurts him to do nothing.

"Doctor… I guess we should go to the 10th of November 1918… the day before the War ended"

(^.^)

Just when we stepped out of the TARDIS we saw Watson and Holmes in the middle of Baker Street. They were arguing about something when suddenly a spaceship appeared on the sky. It shot several times and flew away. So the occupants weren't able to see how they killed Sherlock Holmes. Watson stand in the middle of the street and wasn't able to do anything.

"Sherlock Holmes dies… on day before the war ends…" I said and had an idea. I walk to Watson and looked at him. "You called us, didn't you?" I could see how the Doctor and Martha followed me. Watson just nodded. "That was brilliant my dear Watson" I said and looked at the Doctor. "What do you think. If you could promise the Thal that nobody will attack them again, they will stop this war?" I asked the Doctor.

"Well… I could try… but how will you stop attacking them?"

"Doctor… Sherlock Holmes dies the day before First World War ended… the real one. And I guess it's not a coincidence that we are here and see how this person dies… and we live in a world where Sherlock Holmes is just a fictional character… It simply can't be a coincidence… So I guess you should fix it… is it in any way possible to manipulate the memory of every person?" I asked the Doctor.

He started to thing and suddenly he started to smile. "Of course… it was a present. You are a genius, Emma Sophie Smith", he said and I was really proud of me.

"But what is with Watson?" Martha asked. "If Sherlock will be deleted, shouldn't he also be forgotten?" she asked.

"That was a very clever question Martha." I said and smiled. The Doctor also didn't know an answer so I explained my plan while I walked with Watson to the TARDIS. "Our biggest problem could be that the novels of Sherlock still exist. But the good point on this is that they are written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle simply like in our time line… And like a big coincidence – in which I didn't believe anymore, our Watson here looks exactly like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle…"

"So you mean… he will be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?" Martha asked and I nodded.

"That's my plan… So Doctor… now it's your turn. Manipulate the world and the Thal…" I said and grinned at the Doctor.

He ran into the TARDIS and tried to connect with the Thal. In the Same time he also was looking for a strange machine which an old friend gave him a long time ago. "He was such a brilliant head. And he liked you human kind more than me. He also had a human child... pretty little girl if I remember right. Oh there it is" he mumbled and found the machine.

"Doctor… the Thals..:" Martha said and showed the Doctor the screen.

"They totally looks like human… how did he find out they weren't?" Watson was asking.

"He was the greatest detective in history… how did he figure out just on my quiet normal behavior that I'm an alien? We will never know" He said and tried to stop the Thal from attacking the human population. After some minutes the Thal agreed and fly back to Iceland to live there again. "So… now I just have to find out how this thing works", the Doctor said and looked at the machine.

"Does that mean you don't know how to run this thing? Are you sure it will work?" Martha asked.

"It has to", the Doctor said.

"Em… I guess you have to press this button and pull on this lever to put it on…" I said. All the others, the Doctor, Martha and Watson looked at me totally confused. But then the Doctor tried it and it really function.

"Well… she is our Sherlock", Martha suddenly said and grinned at me.

"And what now… he told me… if you have to use it… just imagine and speak it out… Emma… we need your brain. Tell everything you know about First World War…" the Doctor said and gave this thing to me.

First I looked a bit suspect on it but then I started to talk and to talk. The Doctor and Martha grinned at me and when I was finished I reached it to the Doctor.

"And you still study? I guess you could hold your lectures", Martha said to me.

The Doctor went one time again outside and with his sonic screwdriver he mad this machine hold on the door. Then he came back inside and said proudly: "Once around the World in less than 80 days… in 2 hours!"

(^.^)

As we were back in London it seems like the whole earth would sleep. Nobody was on the street no bombs were flying… everything was just quiet.

"You did it", I said to the Doctor.

"No… we did… Without your brilliant head… It was amazing… it was… well I didn't say that for a long time… it was FANTASTIC! Simply FANTASTIC and brilliant…" he said and ketp on talking.

"But Doctor… I guess you have also to manipulate my mind", Watson said.

"My dear Watson – er, Doyle… I won't do that. I don't want to take you the memories of your friend. But I will manipulate the memories of your family… I guess they wouldn't handle the change to Mrs. Doyle so easily." The Doctor said with a smile.

We all started to walk to Queen Anne Street when suddenly someone pulled me into a side corner and put his hand on my mouth. I wanted to shout but then I saw her and was too confused. The other person took the hand out of my face and step right next to her. I looked confused at both.

"Hey Mum", _Applepie_ said and grinned

"Hey Sweetpie" the other said. She was a bit smaller than _Applepie_, had blond curly hair and looked like 30 years.

"You have to follow us… Dad and Martha will wait until you return… but we have to show you something… Simply trust me" _Applepie_ said and took my hand. "Start the time vortex manipulator", she said to the other woman and suddenly everything changed…

**TO BE CONTINUTED…**

**Who is the mysterious woman?**

**Also, about a week ago I found out, that the old german meaning of Emma-Sophie is 'gewaltige Intelligenz' is, which means something along the lines of 'Gigantic intelligence', I laughed quite a bit at that.**

**Well, until next time!**


End file.
